Psyche
by Lung Tien Lien
Summary: Oh, sure, assessing one of the Galactic Alliance's Most Wanted didn't sound overly difficult for an experienced Space Ranger, but add in equal parts snark-to-snark combat, mutual physical attraction, and ambiguous morality... And that was before Mira Nova's Tangean powers decided to take her and Warp Darkmatter for a thrill ride of personal tragedy.
1. Chapter 1

_**Buzz Lightyear of Star Command**_

 **Psyche**

 **(Disclaimer: I own nothing from the** _ **BLoSC**_ **series. Prepare for a grown and more cynical Mira, and let this ship sail. Reviews are appreciated.)**

 **0000**

If her years in Star Command taught Mira Nova anything besides teamwork, self-sacrifice, and that intergalactic bureaucracy could drive the most even-keeled Space Ranger over the brink of temporary insanity, it was to observe every bit of her surroundings – places, people, the tiniest speck of dust. The seemingly insignificant detail everyone else overlooked might make or break a mission, maybe even turn the whole galaxy on its head.

Ballpoint pens, of all things, made her uneasy now.

No longer a first-year rookie, Mira's mind held a veritable archive of observations, and if the dossiers on her teammates materialized suddenly into real files, dozens upon dozens of added scribbles would fill the margins. For instance: Buzz Lightyear, Pride of Star Command, possessed a severe ticklish streak a parsec wide - Who'd've thought? - and held a "d'aww"-inducing love for cats; Booster could stop and stare enchantedly an image of Vicki Vortex – televised, on a poster, etc. – without suffering a single shot from heavy Hornet fire; and XR floundered when speaking, typing, or writing in French, three huge slaps in the faces of computer science and robotics considering the LGMs' multiple upgrades to his linguistics programs.

Then came Mira's knowledge of Star Command's enemies, but the common sense displayed by standard Ranger protocol dictated she gather and retain intel on Evil Emperor Zurg, Torque, the Raenoks, and the remaining rogues' gallery anyway. So, of course, when one of the Galactic Alliance's Most Wanted acted _heroic_ \- dare Mira use the term - she considered observing the action at every single angle paramount.

Buzz Lightyear and Warp Darkmatter: best friends and partners for years, their bond crushed under the revelation of the latter man's long-standing secret allegiance to Zurg. Small wonder the two former friends now held each other in high contempt, their clashes almost always generating contests to see who would pull off the best one-up and, particularly in Warp's case, get away with it.

The first time Darkmatter teamed up with Buzz of his own free will astonished everyone involved, but then again, Mira remarked later, Warp would do anything if it saved his own skin.

When Natron's attempted ascension recreated the Lightyear/Darkmatter partnership – more, when they both called an _amiable-_ seeming temporary truce following the tyrant's defeat – Mira felt a certainty form in her mind. Her captain and Zurg's top hired-gun would fight side-by-side again, and she needed to see it.

Something more than coincidence proved her right, for she saw the impending alliance occur _repeatedly_.

"Buzz-Lightyear-and-Warp-Darkmatter-to-the-Rescue" didn't happen everyday; Warp would either find himself executed or given an extended stay in one of the Evil Emperor's choice torture chambers if aiding "CURSE-YOU-BUZZ-LIGHTYEEEEAAAAHHHHRR" formed a habit. Yet, every so often, the ex-partners' goals somehow coincided enough that one abetted the other. A roguish smirk; an appreciative laugh; a brief glint of nostalgia, maybe; on rare occasions, a verbal hark back to "the old days"; and on even rarer occasions, another eventual truce. Mira observed these hints and more, her mental cataloging system filing them away one by one.

All those little bits made her wonder. Did Warp Darkmatter still hold some genuine camaraderie with Buzz despite serving Zurg loyally for over two decades? Was Buzz's unwavering faith that his former friend would renounce his villainy and make permanent amends misplaced?

On Mira's end, the philosophical debates turned into endless, unsolvable, niggling bothers, but she refused to let them interrupt her work. Instead, she saved them for the days when her father – or, more accurately, the Tangean Royal Court collective – required her presence during "imperative" social functions.

Not long after, she realized she chose the most appropriate setting for nitpicking Darkmatter's rather warped personality quirks.

0000

An "imperative" social function among the Royal Court of Planet Tangea. What an oxymoron; no royal Tangean gathering evolved into anything more than a mass hub for gossip and strutting worthy of peacocks.

Brainless, self-entitled little birds. They considered themselves royalty, but really…

Princess Mira Nova tried her best in feigning legitimate interest at her current group's topic of conversation. She listened long enough to learn they entertained too-long-kept-quiet opinions on some other nobles across the ball room…and her memory stopped there. Oh, she kept eye-contact, made committal sounds, nodded, and laughed when necessary, but her mind floated above the focus of her father's guests.

One noble sporting a pompadour haircut made a very unflattering comparison between Tangean Grounders and Jo-Ads, the flock surrounding him bursting out laughing at the sentiment. Loosing a faux giggle, Mira nursed on the Warp & Buzz Paradox instead of her fellows' prejudiced, condescending humor, and she hoped her much more noble pursuit would keep her cup of social exhaustion from running over. Pity no wine would appear for another hour or so...

The princess took the next opening to excuse herself, giving the peacocks and peahens the proper amount of farewell etiquette so they would let her go peacefully. Weaving through the crowd, Mira headed straight for the buffet table, grabbed one of each utensil, and filled a plate with sliced, spiced, chilled, braised, and candied fruits and vegetables – treats the Tangean chefs served by the labors of the friendly, hardworking, and generous Jo-Ad people, she thought venomously.

Hoping to counteract her frowning lips and furrowing brow, expressions "improper for royalty", she speared a fruit block and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Man, what did that poor piece of bunzel do to you?"

Mira chewed and swallowed before turning toward the newcomer Tangean. His plain but immaculate white tux – a far cry from the elaborate robes and gowns parading around – caught her eye off the bat, and she then realized, upon further examination, he filled out said tux _quite_ well.

"Enjoying the view, milady?"

Mira shook herself back to reality, not able to help the blush coloring her cheeks. She met the stranger's gaze, and her blush deepened at the amusement carousing through his dark blue eyes.

"My face usually stays up here, 'case Your Highness might be interested."

"I-I, uh – ugh, such grace you have, Princess Nova," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not even half-past the time teenagers start sneaking out of their second-story bedrooms."

"Our fellow members of the social elite are wearing their welcome a little thin?"

Mira took another sip of fruit juice and mulled over her reflection in the glass. "About as thin as my patience for the overly curious."

The stranger laughed. "Touché. It appears Your Majesty's tongue is as sharp here as at Star Command."

"You know, it's funny―"

"I agree."

Mira set her drink down and poleaxed a melon slice with her fork. "You wanna let me finish?"

"Please, by all means. You have my full permission to complete your sentence, princess."

Princess Nova's face creased with frown and furrow, and she twisted the melon slice into a tight spiral.

"As I was saying," she continued, "you seem pretty familiar with me – a little _too_ familiar for my tastes – but though you started this bold conversation, you've yet to introduce yourself properly."

"Oh, my." The unnamed, smirking Tangean swirled the juice tinting his own glass red. "Scandalous."

"Okay, I'm sorry – well, a-actually I'm, I'm not sorry; i-if you were less rude, then maybe―"

"And you were elocuting so well…"

"Okay, have we _met_ somewhere? Ever? For longer than three stellar minutes? I highly doubt I'd forget a guy as aggravating as you, and that's saying something with _this_ crowd."

"Aw, if I knew I'd irritate you that much, I would've introduced myself earlier." Whoever-He-Was flashed a positively wolfish grin at Mira's frustrated growl. "As for the whole 'us-meeting-somewhere-before' thing, I highly doubt anyone from Team Lightyear would forget _my_ introductions for a nanosecond."

Over the course of the last few words, his voice changed from a smooth tenor to a smug bass. The fingers of his right hand tapped on the buffet table, and Mira's ears pricked at the ensuing metallic rat-a-tat-tat. Glancing down, she first saw a blue-skinned Tangean hand, but said hand, shimmering like mist, then dissolved into a mechanical claw.

She took a better look at the man's face, and details - the angular jaw, close-cropped haircut, eye teeth sharper than any normal Tangean's - clicked into place.

A chill shot up Mira's spine. She almost dropped her plate. Behind her, the sounds of the party faded, leaving her standing alone and unarmed with Warp Darkmatter.

Several facts peppered Mira's mind at once. No weapons plus no backup equaled slim chances of handling Darkmatter one-on-one, and he'd be a fool if he took no defensive measures against her Tangean powers. Besides, if a fight broke out here, she would risk dozens of civilian lives or her own from their panic alone – no Fop Doppler attended tonight's event. She _might_ expect some help from her father…but that possibility vanished faster than it came; the guards would evacuate King Nova first and foremost.

Mira could alert the guards quietly, telepathically… No; if Warp could slip past Tangean security – and _phase_ somehow, to enter in the first place – no doubt he also planted destructive insurance across the palace. Team Lightyear dealt with plenty of nasty traps programmed for activation upon a suspect's capture, and many of the cannier, more depraved suspects like Agent Z ended up escaping scot-free in the bloody aftermath.

No matter what strategy she tried developing, every path produced a dead end. For her subjects' sakes, she murmured, "I hate you so much, Darkmatter," and bit a chunk out of her melon slice.

Warp restored his disguise. "Smart call, princess, and if I had a nickel for every time somebody said―"

"What do you want, Warp?" Mira kept her voice quiet and her telepathic wavelength steady through sheer willpower, all the while entertaining the thought, _I would kill for some good liquor right now_. "The last thing Tangea had to offer Zurg was the _Starthought_ , and I don't think either of us gained any important information chatting up the nobles tonight."

"Tch, you got that right. Besides, what? A guy can't get gussied-up incognito and gate-crash a party just to enjoy the spoils of the high class?"

"Says the man who owns an entire moon _and_ an asteroid summer home."

Chuckling, Warp picked up a whole fruit, cut it open with one claw, and used a spoon to scoop out some insides. He nearly bit into it but checked himself, taking a cautious sniff.

"Afraid we'd poison our own dinner, Darkmatter?"

"Nope. Just making sure this is jackfruit and not durian. Can't stand the stuff." Warp sniffed one more time, ate the fruit, and smiled. "Jackfruit. Good deal."

"Bad experience, I take it?"

"Eh, Star Command cadets used to bring their own ingredients to lunch break – trying to 'improve' the menu. Also doubled as a teensy hazing process handed down from the years ahead of us; they loved betting on who'd start heaving first." Warp's nose wrinkled. "Found out the hard way that durians do _not_ belong anywhere near tacos. Haven't been able to eat tacos since."

"Gross!"

"Heh, you should've been there when we tried boiled Moozle blood snow cones. Oh, man, the kitchen and janitorial staff _hated_ us that day – come to think of it, we hated us that day."

Mira's appetite committed suicide. "E-e-ew, okay, that's-that's more than enough info for me, thank you."

"Aw, you'll miss the best part," Warp baited her, his toothy smile returning.

"I don't wanna _know_ the 'best part'!"

"Not even if I told you that _Ty Parsec_ was the only one of us who stomached literally everything we tried?"

"Wait." Mira's stomach settled. "'Needed-Saving-By-Buzz-Lightyear-Fifty-One-Times' Ty Parsec? _He_ could eat that stuff without throwing up his guts?"

"Yup. Turns out he also has, or had, a stomach of titanium. While the rest of us bolted for the nearest trash unit, he stayed at the table and kept everything down, even experiments worse than the snow cones."

"You're kidding, and please don't fill me in on what was worse."

"I kid you not, and don't worry, princess, I made sure the bulk of _those_ memories were happily repressed years ago." Warp refilled his drink. "Still, you should've seen him, or heard him. He went all connoisseur on us. 'Hmm, chewy, very chewy, but I think if you applied more tenderization, you might have something here. And the sour aftertaste actually compliments the pungent flavor very well.'" With his "Tangean" voice, Darkmatter's impression of Ty landed right on the money - poor Ty. "'I'd add a _few_ more drops of bunzel vinegar – not too many or you'll turn the flavor _far_ too bitter.'"

For the first time that entire evening, Mira laughed genuinely. Despite the fact she tolerated Agent Z's presence and spoke civilly with him by the merest logical threads, she found herself… _enjoying_ his company.

What in the name of Saturn's rings was she thinking? Every Space Ranger instinct _screamed_ at her to remain on high alert, to keep her ears peeled for all the rhetorical snares she knew. Warp wanted her to spill something from this conversation, but of what that something might be, Mira possessed no idea. So far, he flapped his jaw much more than she…

"Ah, Mira, there you are."

Her father's voice turned Princess Nova away from the major trespasser in the palace. "Is something the matter, Father?"

"My dear, you've not made your complete rounds this evening; many of the guests are becoming impatient." King Nova, certainly not recognizing Warp Darkmatter at the moment, gave the Tangean wearing a common white tuxedo a critical once-over. "Is this another… _friend_ of yours from Star Command? Odd that we've never been introduced considering he looks like one of ours."

Inside, Mira shook her head. Though her father loved her and respected her decision to serve the Galactic Alliance as a Ranger, King Nova's prejudice always reared its ugly head among the nobles.

Prompted by an arched, kingly eyebrow, Mira not-quite-lied, "Ah, k-kind of, Father. He lives off-world, and-and we've met h-here and there…"

"Mira, how many times must I remind you to control that stutter? It's incredibly unbecoming, and you should tell me when you've invited anyone outside the registry. Now," King Nova spared Warp a brief glance, "it's very nice to meet you, young man, but my daughter and I have other pressing engagements to attend. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your night."

"You have my humble thanks, Your Highness." Worryingly, Mira saw no seam in Warp's façade while he bowed first to the king and then to her. "Princess Nova, it was a pleasure; and thank you for your time. We can save our conversation for some later day."

Much later, like _never_ later, Mira hoped, letting her father shepherd her away.

0000

Thankfully, nothing worse than sharing space and conversing with a dangerous criminal took place that night, and upon returning to Star Command, Mira reported Warp's appearance on Tangea and their chat. Commander Nebula, while infuriated at the outlaw's audacity, commended her for not doing anything rash and ordered the comms officers to conference him with King Nova.

Buzz heard the report second, and he all but interrogated Mira onboard _42_ during Team Lightyear's return trip to Tangea. His concern soon shifted to reminiscence tinged with deep regret, but Mira dared not open his wounds any further by nosing her way deeper into his and Warp's former friendship.

Although, Buzz confirmed that, yes, Ty Parsec's sense of taste might indeed be worthy of Dr. Furbanna's studies on Karn.

Once settled on Tangea, Team Lightyear scanned the palace down to the tiniest atom and found over _three_ _dozen_ different traps on standby mode. Then, when XR interfaced the computer systems and accessed the security programs, the following moment of expectant silence shattered suddenly.

"Whoa, whoa, WHA—?"

A violent tremor ran through XR's body, epileptic patterns of colors and static blitzing through his optics, fizzling sparks popping from his hard drive. Then, in the middle of the fit, out of his voice box came:

"Hush little Lightyear, don't say a word!

You're the biggest joke that Zurg's ever heard!

And if that little insult doesn't sting,

When it comes to big, fat heads, well, yours is king!

And when all your shiny gold medals turn brass,

Don't worry 'cause you're still a champion a-"

Buzz, Mira, and Booster detached - more like _yanked_ on Buzz's part - XR from the interface panel, and the poor bot struggled forming coherent sentences for two hours, the exact time his defense and cleaning programs took to clear out the bulk of the viruses, malware, and spyware invading his hard-drive.

Mira almost swore she heard Darkmatter laughing his blue butt off from his lunar paradise, or Planet Z, or wherever the twisted, gate-crashing son of a gut-sucking egg devil skulked now.

The day ended with a complete wipe and reboot of the palace's mainframe. Before that, the Rangers aided King Nova with tripling the guards and non-computerized security measures, and they re-identified every Tangean, each noble's DNA, retinal, fingerprint, and mental wavelength signature archived newly within a black box terminal alterable by two people: the king and princess.

"The rogue would be an imbecile to try and waltz in here again," Mira's father declared, and not without justifiable reason. After the extensive measures taken, Mira knew she should feel the same confidence and safety.

So, why didn't she?


	2. Chapter 2

**_Buzz Lightyear of Star Command_**

 **Psyche**

 **(Disclaimer: Still own nothing from** ** _BLoSC_** **. Reviews are appreciated.)**

 **0000**

During King Nova's subsequent royal ball, the chefs served wine early – Mira's wish come true. However, she refrained from drinking herself stupid; faint tipsiness sufficed, granting her a welcome sense of serenity.

Perfect for accepting dance requests.

She now danced with her sixth consecutive noble, a braggart named Orion Pleiades who owned two left feet, but, giving a lesser bother by the wine's graces, she managed. Still, a lady could take only so many smashed toes during one orchestral movement.

Mira and her partner passed close to another couple, and she recognized both dancers, Elara Cressida and Altair Rigel. Of Altair, Mira knew little, but she and Elara took etiquette classes together during their youth, and the "blossoming gentlewoman" _loved_ making fun of her princess's spectacular embroidery failures when their group instructor turned her back.

"Hello, Lady Cressida."

"Oh, Princess Nova! You look well, my lady, and your ensemble is particularly stunning tonight."

"Thank you."

"Did you do the stitching yourself?"

Mira smiled sweetly. "Want to trade dance partners? Spice the night up a bit more?" She turned to Orion "Foot Crusher" Pleiades, sending him her finest Fluttering Eyelashes of Persuasion. "You wouldn't mind? I mean no insult of course."

"Uh, no, of course not, Princess Nova. Whatever Your Majesty desires."

The ladies twirled across the dance floor and into the arms of the men opposite them. Mira's seventh noble caught her without missing a beat, and they matched the orchestra's changing tempo.

Thanking the cosmos, Mira sighed, "Finally. My toes can recover."

Altair chuckled. "He took the phrase 'dancing toe-to-toe' a bit too far, huh?"

"A bit, yes."

"There's one in every crowd."

Maybe the wine affected her more than she thought, for Mira felt the strangest sense of…unease? Déjà vu? The feelings intensified when Altair lowered his head to whisper something into her ear.

"You're gonna have to try harder if you want to keep _me_ out, princess."

Mira almost ghosted through her own skin.

"And before you think of calling security, you might wanna disable my latest 'safeguards' first."

Anger drove away her fright (and her buzz, fraggit) to the point socking Darkmatter's big fat jaw sounded like a _fantastic_ idea. Warp must've felt it – Mira's left-hand nails digging into his shoulder probably gave her away – and he tightened his grip on her right hand.

"You're cute when you're feisty, but don't push your luck."

" _How_ , Darkmatter?" Mira lowered her voice enough for only the two of them to hear. " _How_ have you slipped past us _again_? What did you do with the _real_ Altair?"

"You make it sound like it's a challenge. As for the Altair guy, let's just say he's blazing a trail and exploring new territory across the galaxy."

"Give me. A real. Answer."

"Secrets. Of. The trade."

Mira ground her teeth until they hurt, and Warp's breath ghosting over her ear helped _nothing_ , nor did the placement of his cybernetic arm across the small of her back. And…her body found zero problems being held close to his.

Space Ranger training? What Space Ranger training?

Then came perhaps the worst, most ironic aspect of the moment: Their dance, which Warp led with practiced ease, was a waltz.

Never mind the accursed stutter; Mira's twitching eye needed the bulk of her reflex control now.

"Princess of Tangea, Queen of Mixed Signals." Warp spun her around, her back flush against his chest. "Not that I'm complaining."

Scenting musk, Mira jolted and missed a step. "W-What? There's, there's _nothing_ to mix," she protested, her cheeks burned red hot. " _Nothing_!"

"Sure, because I, with my own personal moon and summer asteroid staffed full of gorgeous female employees, wouldn't know a thing about women."

"I know for a fact you did _not_ just relate me to your working girls, Darkmatter, and knowing all about cheap floozies doesn't come close to knowing anything about ladies."

"One: Those floozies aren't cheap, which is kind of the point." Warp spun Mira back around again. "Two: You've had…eight chances to trade me off like Sir Stomps-A-Lot, and yet we're still dancing the night away. Any specific reason why?"

"Yes, actually. One: Keeping you here where I can watch you rather than letting you slip off somewhere is safer for Tangea."

"Not exactly true."

" _Two_ :" Mira snarled, "I've got my 'how' answer, though certainly no sane person would ever―"

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm in perfect mental health."

Mira's fury blazed. "Because betraying the Galactic Alliance, Star Command, and your _best friend_ just for some glitzy paychecks from Evil Emperor Zurg is what any psychologically stable person would do. 'To protect and defend all sentient beings against injustice'? What a joke, right? Who cares how many lives you ruin so long as you, Warp Darkmatter, get your cut at the end of the day? Money, toys, girls, and the lap of luxury – that's all that matters. Well, let's hope you can keep finding fulfillment in your bloody riches, because they won't mitigate the fact that in the end, you, Warp Darkmatter, are alone and completely _unloved_ throughout the entire fragging universe. When your selfishness eventually gets you killed, I bet the entire Galactic Alliance will rejoice over finally being able to forget all about you and the miserable life you lived."

Warp gawked at her. Did she see _hurt_ flash in his shocked eyes?

Good.

"Feh. So much for enjoying the evening," Warp muttered.

"And on that subject, I no longer need you to tell me the real reason you've hung around." Mira removed her left hand from Warp's shoulder and jabbed her index finger into his chest. "Listen and listen well, Darkmatter. I don't care how attractive my female instincts or your so-called 'staff' think you are; I am never going to be another notch in your bedpost. You could not have read me more wrong. Princess I may be, but your _conquest_ I most certainly am _not_. How fragging dare you for thinking so, you money-grubbing, backstabbing _swine_."

He started objecting, but Princess Nova's riot act steamrolled over him.

"After tonight, you get off my planet and don't even think about coming back. If you do and I catch you, rest assured I will make you regret each and everymoment you played the part of Zurg's lapdog. And if _one_ of your 'safeguards' activates and hurts any of my subjects once we're done here, I will not rest until I put you behind bars for the rest of your traitorous life."

"I would love to see you try, rookie. Oh, wait, your entire team has been trying and failing for literal years, or am I wrong?"

A few seconds earlier, the orchestra finished playing, and the Tangeans nearest the princess and her final dance partner now listened in on their two arguing brethren curiously.

Using her most regal voice, Mira commanded, "Unhand me this instant."

"Gladly, Your Highness."

A tense moment passed, Princess Nova and "Altair Rigel" on the apparent verge of an even more gossip-worthy spat.

"Centuries ago," Mira snarled, "they talked about the Seven Wonders of the World. Buzz's faith in you is the eighth."

Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the ball room and gave no care for her father's orders for her to return.

0000

If anyone asked Mira who grew angrier at the situation: Commander Nebula or King Nova, she would have answered, "Neither." The shouting match between the two leaders compared not to _her_ utter _outrage_.

When she stalked out of the command center and past Buzz, he asked, "What did he say, Mira?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing much," she replied, flippant to an uncharacteristic degree, "just enough to make my father impose a ban on traveling a-a-and moving goods to or from Tangea, which forced me to-to _choose_ between my 'responsibilities to my planet' or, Commander Nebula's recommendation, remaining at Star Command. Guess what I picked."

"You were upset before making your report." Buzz placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mira, tell me. What did he say?"

Her captain sounded so concerned, so willing to listen, and she almost hated him for it.

"Enough," Mira bit out, whirling away and heading straight for her quarters. She passed Booster and XR, but, catching one glimpse of her face, they gave her a wide berth by pressing against the other side of the hall.

0000

Not two weeks later, Team Lightyear interrupted a black market deal between Zurg and some goon on Tradeworld, and the Rangers ended up facing Warp Darkmatter, acting as Zurg's middle-man - what a surprise. The shrimp of an arms dealer stood no chance; Mira took him out first, squeezing his brain until he fell unconscious and then slapping on his brand new pair of cuffs.

Mira rejoined her team as they engaged Agent Z, and she fought like a demon. She seized every chance for a shot, sparing her personal safety negligible regard; if she couldn't bring Zurg's pet mercenary down, he would flee in pieces.

Ultimately, Darkmatter cut his losses and carried out a tactical retreat with half of the weapons he came for, his cybernetic arm hanging limp and sparking. Mira, consumed by fury, attempted pursuit, but Buzz caught her with an unyielding grip and forced her to the ground.

"Sweet mother of Venus, Ranger, what were you _doing_ out there? Those stunts you pulled nearly got you _vaporized_!" he yelled.

"Although it made for some great footage for my first feature film, _Rangers of the Lost Quark_ ," XR announced.

"Th-Those 'stunts' also had Darkmatter on the ropes, if you didn't notice!" she yelled right back, ignoring XR. "If you'd let me go after him, I might, I might've a-a-at least been able to destroy―"

"No! Nothing is worth a Space Ranger acting like a fool! You know better, Mira!"

"I already have an infuriating father, Buzz; I'm not in the market for another!"

XR twiddled his fingers. "Yowch. Score one for the princess?"

"Mira, stop! Please!" Booster interposed himself between his arguing teammates. "We want to help you, but we can't do that if you don't―"

"Stay out of this, Booster! It's none of your business!" the princess snapped, regretting it when her gentle friend flinched away.

"Don't take your personal issues with Agent Z out on your comrades, Mira – and your attitude becomes Booster's business when it affects our performance in the field," said Buzz, patting Booster's arm. "Look, I know Warp better than anyone here; and there's no denying he can be… _extremely_ unpleasant when the mood strikes him."

"'Extremely unpleasant'? ' _Extremely unpleasant_ '?" Mira rounded on her captain. "You know what else Warp Darkmatter is, Buzz? An unrepentant traitor and a narcissistic, womanizing thug! In some ways, he's worse than Zurg!"

Booster stared, both hands in front of his mouth, and XR's commentary consisted of: "Whoa."

Meanwhile, Buzz turned stone-faced. "That's not true, Mira. Zurg is evil to the core, but I've seen good in Warp too many times to count – so have you three."

"We did?"

Under the three glowers aimed his way, XR backpedaled and recanted, "Hey, I neither confirm nor deny seeing anything related to one Warp Darkmatter's moral character."

" _Not_ helping, XR," Booster reproved through his teeth.

"Even if that's true, Buzz," Mira said, "Darkmatter doesn't need to be pure evil in order to be petty and selfish, the two qualities at which he excels and ultimately chooses over all others. He only acts the hero when it's convenient for his interests! No matter how much you believe in him, he'll never change. It would save the Galactic Alliance and Star Command a heaping helping of time and energy if you would just accept reality and move _on_ already. Do you even know how childish if not outright _stupid_ you make yourself look by still believing in him after everything he's done? He's feeding you lies, and you just eat them up like you're a complete sucker!"

Buzz's scowl deepened, anger lighting his eyes, and Mira froze, almost not believing what just came out of her mouth.

"Ranger Nova, the recent misfortunes with Warp Darkmatter have affected you deeply; and understandably so," Captain Lightyear said very, very carefully. "Nonetheless, that is no excuse to perform acts of potentially lethal recklessness when engaging an armed and experienced criminal, nor do the troubles of your planet give you the right to mistreat your team.

"Until such time as excessive emotions no longer impair your judgment, I'm suspending you from active Space Ranger duty. You will hang up your suit and report directly to your quarters upon our return to Star Command."

0000

Few times did Mira ever feel more miserable, sequestered inside Star Command for the second week. Her punishment didn't limit her to her room; she ate her meals in the cafeteria, blew bouts of steam off in the gym, and spent time visiting the lounge. In the last area, Commander Nebula and his favorite LGMs taught her several card games at their table, though how Nebula told the LGMs apart, Mira never knew.

Sadly, none of those freedoms cleared her head for long. Wherever Mira went, others – LGMs, her fellow Rangers, and the regular Star Command staff – watched her, and the consideration of the nicer ones who tried doing so on the down-low left her feeling worse. A handful of watchers offered her their ears or whatever anatomical part with which they listened, but she refused each offer politely.

Though the very sight of her quarters drove her up the wall, no other place provided total privacy. But leaving her alone and stewing…

"Buzz has no right to stuff me away like this," Mira declared to the otherwise silent room. "He has no right!"

Her rational side chided her before the outburst's end. She acted beyond irrational on Tradeworld. No one could tell how many people her mission-long crusade for revenge might have hurt, or worse, and no amount of self-righteousness justified her ripping into her teammates, especially when they did nothing wrong. Both Ranger protocol and personal responsibility, to say nothing of the bonds of camaraderie, obligated Buzz to pull Mira from duty after the dangerous immaturity she displayed.

Mira flopped onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. Why did she even care to let Warp Darkmatter get under her skin like this? He didn't double-cross her after several years of best-friendship, and she suffered plenty of less-than-savory guys, and a couple of gals (ugh), who tried charming their ways into her good graces. Not to mention, dozens of planets failed noticing Agent Z come and go - and there Mira found an answer. Darkmatter's "visiting" Tangea stung because the planet in question not merely belonged to but _relied_ upon her, Princess Nova, in part, and like that little fact failed rankling her enough, Warp then taunted her to her face about his trespasses while threatening her subjects at the same time.

Though her aggravation smoldered, Mira no longer blamed her father for declaring Tangea a no-fly zone. If she held King Nova's much more rigid political position, the stars above knew she would err on the side of caution, prejudiced or not, if Agent Z bypassed heavy security _two consecutive times_ like nothing more than air barred his way. Especially since both times, said agent found himself the perfect positions for the possible kidnapping or assassination of the Tangean throne's sole heir, all the while holding her people hostage without them even knowing.

Mira shuddered, remembering the distinct _lack_ of space contained within the last niche Darkmatter carved for the two of them. Never did she wish to get so close to the man - screw the tux - and never _ever_ did she expect her body's betrayal by…not…disliking…the…physical…contact.

Her rage flared anew, and she wanted to beat Warp into paste regardless of anyone's orders. Immediately, her rational side analyzed the reasoning behind the emotion. She felt base, goosebump-inducing physical interest for Warp Darkmatter and he attempted using it to his advantage. Something so altogether trivial made her angry enough to act like a nitwit while fighting on the Galactic Alliance's behalf? Not the threat to her planet? Or her people? Really?

"… _I've seen good in Warp too many times to count – so have you three."_

Mira huffed, squeezing the pillow's upper edge.

Beside her bed, the room's comm unit beeped, and a rough voice addressed her: _"Ranger Nova. This is Commander Nebula. Please respond."_

The commander sounded subdued, and Mira went on high alert.

"This is Ranger Nova responding," she replied. "What are your orders, sir?"

" _Report to the critical care section of Medical on the double. It's an emergency."_

Bounding out of bed, Mira spent more time ghosting than running to Star Command's medical wing. When she arrived in Crit-Care, she saw Commander Nebula, Booster, and XR crowded outside a room near the back. Taking a place beside them, she approached the viewing window, and her breath caught.

Lying unconscious within the hospital room was Buzz, attended by several Star Command medics. Barely an inch of his skin showed from under the bandages, gauze, and casts, and he was hooked up to life support.

0000

 _~Earlier In the Day~_

" _What did you say to her, Warp?"_

" _My line of work involves chatting up lots of ladies, Lightyear. You're gonna have to be a bit more specific."_

" _You are_ not _dodging my question!"_

" _I can dodge anything you throw at me, Lightyear!"_

" _Great job on the banter, both of you! Now, if you wouldn't mind, a couple more explosions would make this scene!"_

" _Not the time or the place, XR!"_

" _I disagree. Ask and you shall receive, Tin Toy!"_

" _Turillium! Alloy! I am_ not _―YAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

" _Booster, fall back and retrieve XR!"_

" _Yes, sir!"_

" _It's just you and me, Warp! Now, answer my question!"_

" _What's it to ya, Lightyear? The pwincess get her widdle feewings hurt?"_

" _Warp, what do you_ want _from her? She doesn't fit the bill for one of your casual flings, and even you wouldn't stoop so low to defile royalty!"_

" _You_ do _know that whole phrase about the dangers of assuming, right?"_

" _Blast it, Warp! I know there's good in you somewhere―"_

" _Oh, cripes, would you hop off the soapbox already? It got old on the_ first _try; now it's just ridiculous! For the last time, we are_ not _friends, and I am_ not _exchanging the life I was meant to have for a glorified civil service job at Star Command! Get that through your thick, idealistic head and go shove your oversized chin―"_

" _WARP, LOOK OUT!"_

" _Wha―CRATERS!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Buzz Lightyear of Star Command_**

 **Psyche**

 **(Disclaimer: Still own nothing from or related to** ** _BLoSC_** **. Reviews are appreciated. NOTE: At one point, I had to spell out a program name since FF dot net took the initial spelling of the intended joke too seriously.)**

 **0000**

A pounding headache and a bare room that definitely did _not_ match up to her quarters on Star Command: the perfect combination for a Tangean princess to awaken to before anything else. Mira's temples and the backs of her eyes pounded, and, while closing her eyes in order to gain some relief and better feel the surface beneath her resting body, she registered a sheet-less mattress. Fortunately, the room around her felt neither too warm nor too cold, but when she tried moving the mattress around, she failed budging it an inch.

Once she absorbed the absence of any other furnishings, Mira noticed a door which had no knob, switch, or interface panel on her side.

"Okay. Standard questions of, 'Where am I?' and, 'How did I get here?' are asked as of…now," Mira groaned, matching her focus against her headache. "Seriously, who bolts a mattress to the floor? Think, Mira. Space Rangers and memory lapses never mix well. Think! Where could you be?"

She remembered, through no small amount of pain, walking. Lots of walking. Through a city born from a literal jungle, two moons glowing overhead.

Rhizome. She'd been on Rhizome. Why…?

Buzz.

Remembering hurt even more.

/

" _The big-rig's trailer hit him broadside, full speed," said Commander Nebula. "He took the brunt of the explosion from the damaged cargo, a nasty fusion crystal catalyst, and ended up partially buried under the building it demolished. His Ranger suit kept him from being killed outright, and EMTs arrived on the scene quick, but… He's in bad shape. There's no telling how long it'll take for him to heal or regain consciousness."_

" _No thanks to me, filming my stupid movie. So much for 'no Rangers were harmed in the making of this picture'," XR added, looking heart-wrenchingly guilty._

 _"No thanks to Warp either!" Booster cried. "If Buzz hadn't shoved him out of the way,_ he'd _be hospitalized just the same!"_

" _And only so the traitor can spend the rest of his days rotting in prison!" Nebula bellowed. Reining his temper back under control so the medical staff wouldn't evict him, he sent a tired glance Mira's way. "Ranger Nova, I'm sending you and the rest of Team Lightyear to Rhizome for R &R."_

" _But, sir―"_

" _No 'buts'! Look, I understand you three want to be here for Buzz; he'd want the same if the situation was reversed, and the sentiment is appreciated." Nebula sighed, massaging his right temple. "The problem is the details of his condition hit too close to home, particularly for you Mira – and don't bother denying it._

" _Before anything else happens, swear_ _to me on your honor as a Space Ranger, the Princess of Tangea, and a good,_ trusted _friend of Buzz Lightyear that you will_ not _, under any circumstances, hunt Darkmatter on your own or with backup. He can't outrun the long arm of the law forever, and vigilantism on your part isn't gonna help. Take my word for it, and give me your honest word here and now, Ranger Nova, that you will keep your promise to the letter, come wormholes or wirewolves."_

 _Mira promised and, her spirit strained paper thin, she broke down weeping. Knees buckling, she ended up on the floor before Commander Nebula, Booster, or XR could catch her._

" _I didn't… I-I never t-told him I…" Mira's raw self-hatred constricted her chest and throat. "That...I'm_ sorry _. For what I said. I was being so_ stupid — _a-and self-centered_ — _and now Buzz is...is..."_

 _Nebula knelt and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "He'll fight through this, Mira; he hasn't let any of us down yet. When Buzz's awake and on the mend, Team Lightyear will be the first ones I call, I promise." When Mira leaned into her commander, crying even harder, he brought her into a complete, warm hug. "It's going to be okay, Mira. Take my honest word for it. Somehow, this'll all be okay."_

/

Mira wiped away her tears. She could do nothing for Buzz except hope, and no Mood Garden or other "calming gifts of nature's bounty" improved her state of mind – though Booster and XR got something out of Rhizome's abundance, the two Rangers introducing XR's camera and its entire film reel to some very cathartic fireweed.

It took hours for Mira to relax enough to sleep that night, but a nightmare disturbed her slumber. Buzz, bloodstained, broken, and staring _through_ her rather than at her, died in her arms, his final words one horrid question:

" _Who are you?"_

― _she ran, tripping over her dress, the fabric ripping when she jerked upright, her child-sized circlet slipping from her hair and skittering across the floor. Her father and bedridden mother cried out, pleading―_

Mira jack-knifed awake to the sound of her own screams, several Rhizomian attendants rushing inside her suite. Fortunately, a cup of hot, face-puckering herbal tea later and she could no longer sit up straight, let alone retain the energy for nightmares.

Yet…she remembered…dreaming...of...of Buzz. No, not dreaming; Mira heard him outside somewhere, calling for her. Then… Then, her telepathy and other Tangean senses stirred, growing stronger and urging her from bed the more she tried suppressing them. Siding with said powers, Mira's Ranger instinct solidified her decision to investigate.

No Rhizomian attendants appeared at any point, a _strange_ coincidence in retrospect, and Booster and XR slept/recharged inside suites of their own, so no one stopped her from leaving the resort. How long, how far, or unto what region of Rhizome she wandered, Mira knew not; she paid her path no attention, focusing only on Buzz. However, his summons transformed from words into pure feeling, a psychic trail guiding her rather than sound, while her captain himself always stayed beyond sight.

Mira's journey ended where the trail became a roiling cloud enclosed inside some unknown space, Buzz's psychic imprint mixing with someone else's. It felt like two opposing storm fronts hitting each other, bursting with lightning and thunder where the thunderheads impacted. Except conversation formed this "storm", snippets of voices crackling and sometimes _booming_ around Mira, the sentences too loud, too unintelligible, or, on occasion, too soft for her to understand.

She recalled nothing but darkness beyond the telepathic cloud engulfing her.

"Three guesses where the headache's come from, but none of that tells me where I am or why," Mira grumbled, examining the room again. Nothing changed while she recapped the previous night - if her little jaunt took place the previous night and not days ago. She held no idea of how long she lied senseless on account of whatever new Tangean ability bothered her now, or maybe on account of the mysterious "tea" that put her under in the first place.

Or on account of someone who found a way to take advantage of her telepathy and lure her to this room.

Wasting no more time, Mira — still wearing her Rhizomian toga; how nice — stood and trotted to the door, her body prepared for ghosting through, and hit it face-first.

"Yow!"

She stumbled backward and nearly fell, steadying herself at the last possible second. Nose and forehead throbbing, Mira took the more cautious route the second time around and tried phasing her hands, but the door felt no less solid than before.

"The element the Chlorm used? Tefloid 14?" The entryway negated a third ghosting attempt. "Craters. Now how do I get out of here?"

"Say 'pretty please Warp, you handsome devil, you'?"

Oh…no.

"Yeah, I figured that was askin' too much, too. Ah, well. Worth a shot."

No. No, no, no. _His_ voice did not come from the other side of that stupid door. It did _not_!

"You still there, princess?"

Her mind flailing, Mira channeled XR.

"The party you are attempting to reach is not available. Please leave a short message after the tone, and your call will be returned as soon as possible. Beep."

One second, two seconds, three...

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that 'beep'," Warp said.

Mira_Nova dot e.x.e. came back online, and she shook her head _hard_.

"Let me out of here, Darkmatter!" she demanded. "I'm not your conquest, and I'm not your prisoner either!"

"Yeah, you're not going anywhere, princess. Things get complicated when you wake up in the middle of night and see a Tangean ghost standing in your bedroom."

Mira heard Warp jump at her mortified shriek.

"I was in your bedroom? Five years of therapy right there!"

"Craters, woman, I thought I was being haunted and _you're_ the one screaming?"

"Can you blame me? If this situation isn't your doing, then I ended up in the lair of my worst enemies thanks to the combination of a possibly narcotic drink and... _something_ that messed with my telepathy! How would you react in my place?"

"Uh... Got lots of contextual questions, but basic point taken."

"No kidding. Gah, Commander Nebula is going to have Dr. Animus institutionalize me for this…" Mira regained her composure. "But I'll worry about that later. 'Ghost', Darkmatter? Of all the insulting slang for Tangeans, that has to be the most unoriginal―"

"I'm not joking! It was, what, three-thirty in the morning? My room is supposed to be pitch black until noon―"

"Hm. Can't keep your true form as a Creature of the Night longer than that, huh?"

"Ha, ha. You come up with that one yourself, or does Your Highness's royal repartee-writer have you covered?"

"I'm my own repartee-writer. Get to the point, Darkmatter."

"Like I need your permission. But, seriously, I woke up to a blue-and-white glow and saw a very transparent image of _you_ standing right next to _my_ bed, and this entire place is supposed to be impenetrable for anything or anyone except me!"

"Got that memo."

"Not nearly enough. You almost made me shoot my one-of-a-kind Bathyosian mother-of-pearl vase. I had to talk the bubble-heads down from taking my good arm instead of my money for the thing."

"The poor vase; so close to finally being put out of its misery…"

Mira heard the unmistakable sound of a charging cannon.

"I could put _you_ out of my misery right now, smart mouth."

A salvo of snarky retorts loaded on Mira's tongue, but they fizzled away.

"I was asleep and tangible for I don't know how long," she replied. "You've had more than enough time to kill me, or maim me, or restrain me for whatever dark ideas slither inside your head. So, the million-unibuck question: Why have you stood back and done nothing?"

After another pause, Mira heard the cannon switch off. However, she didn't drop her guard; any of Warp's weapons could target her with fair precision given her entrapment within close-quarters.

"You're not worth the effort for anything, princess, not until I figure out how in the world you bypassed my security – huh, irony. I'd guess 'revenge' as the 'why' answer, considering you kept asking for your oh-so-precious Lightyear."

"Awww. Your ego take a hit, Darkmatter? Second-best to Buzz again?"

"Dream on, princess." Warp made a disgusted noise. "Don't tell me you and Lightyear are a _thing_."

"W-What? No! Not even a-as an experiment! Besides, he's already got someone."

"Would 'her' name be 'Star Command' by any chance? Or 'Ozma Furbanna'?"

"How _ever_ did you guess?"

"Razor-sharp reasoning prowess – kind of like Tangean mind powers, only much more reliable and waaaaaaaay less creepy."

"Debatable arguments at best. Well, Mister Sharp-As-A-Tack, care to tell me why Buzz's psychic imprint, or a really good imitation of it, led me here?"

"'Psychic imprint'?"

"The unique wavelength signature every sentient, non-robotic being's mind possesses? Part of what makes an individual who he or she is? Catch up with the rest of the class, Darkmatter; this'll be on the test."

"Sorry, Professor Nova, but I'm cutting class that day. Got better things on my agenda."

"Letting Space Rangers take falls that should've been yours, for example?"

Another silence, and then, "See, there's the problem with you Space Rangers. You let all that 'serve and protect' nobility junk go straight to your heads and turn you into sentimental idiots when the chips are down."

"Sentimental-Idiot-Buzz-Lightyear almost got himself killed saving you, ingrate! Would you rather have had him just let that explosive trailer hit you? I know I would have. It would've made for one less of Zurg's boot-licking flunkies to worry about."

The cannon charged again, and, if Mira's directional hearing worked correctly, its barrel pointed right at her face.

"Remember my advice about not pushing your luck with me?" Warp's _very_ ticked-off voice rumbled, not too unlike some of the thunder in the telepathic cloud. "Keep digging, princess, and the one less thing you'll have to worry about will be your head."

Huh. Despite his smack-talk, Warp Darkmatter turned testy when on the receiving end of tough love. Pity, but Mira refused to let him treat her like a doormat. However, though rejoinders, insults, and questions packed her mouth to the point of pain, but she buttoned her lips tight; her strain of fortune saved her twice now, but the Rule of Threes existed for good reason.

 _Wait. Does he actually ca…?_ Mira stopped the thought and shook her head. _No; I haven't seen any real proof of that. Buzz's accident might've been one of Agent Z's setups, and then Darkmatter getting angry with me here might be his attempt at tricking me into making leaps of logic based on false pretenses._

 _Stars, how much more twisted can this man get?_

"I don't know what your Tangean voodoo schtick is doing to your brain, but Buzz has never been here. No one else has been here except you and me – and the people who helped me design and build this place, though they won't talk. Ever. And Star Command can run themselves ragged searching my other properties; there's nothing for them to find.

"Make yourself comfortable, princess. You're not leaving my little off-the-radar abode for what I call the foreseeable future."

"You can't keep me here, Darkmatter! I'll find a way out; you just watch me! Hey! Are you listening? HEY!"


	4. Chapter 4

_**Buzz Lightyear of Star Command**_

 **Psyche**

 **(Disclaimer: I own no part of the BLoSC show or the Disney company. I apologize that I changed the title but haven't edited the first three chapters; I've been away from FF dot net for several months and all my documents have expired. I do not know when I'll make the edits, but I will take care of them in time.** **Thank you for your patience! Reviews are appreciated.)**

Imprisoned in Warp's safe-house, a bare mattress her one companion, her sense of time thrown sweet-mother-of-Venus-knew-where, Mira grew more desperate for a change. She performed basic exercises and stretches to keep herself fit, these workouts interspersed with Tangean meditation techniques, but her mind craved real occupation like her body craved phasing through energy.

No cafeteria, no cards, and no gym – even her quarters on Star Command came equipped with a digital terminal and vid-screen for stars' sakes!

She stayed clean and fed at least (Agent Z kept a few decent standards, thank the stars) though Warp ensured she received her pre-prepped showers, in which she also more-or-less washed her clothes, and meals without risking himself whatsoever. The first time her food entered her room via a slot opening slightly above the threshold of her room's door, Mira sent her captor a stinging remark concerning cowardice, but he waved her off.

"What you call cowardice, I call practicality, princess. Potato, po-tah-to," he said, leaving her to take out her frustrations on an innocent, defenseless salad.

Maybe her subconscious mind _did_ hold a weird grudge against produce.

Her lunch annihilated, Mira retreated into herself, questioning the universe over topics she queried many times already. How was Buzz doing? Had he woken up yet? What about Booster and XR? How were they coping, especially now that Mira was MIA? And her father: How badly did he react to the news of his only heir – his only _child_ – going missing? Did they, or anyone else from Star Command, or Tangea, or maybe the Rhizomians pick up her trail? She must have left one; she was hardly an actual ghost - when last she checked anyway. Maybe the Rhizomians poisoned her on accident and she now suffered through a surreal post-life fantasy?

Mira laughed. _Nah. As if a stupid door could stop me if I was dearly departed. Besides, no dying fantasy of mine would have anything to do with Warp Darkmatter, even in_ his _dreams._

Yet, Mira dared not shake Warp's story. The man was a born liar, no doubts there, but the fact remained that Mira's Tangean powers somehow phased her through Tefloid 14 or an equivalent material without alerting any security measures or afflicting her with adverse effects (of which she knew, at any rate). Plus, where did "Buzz's" psychic trail come from; how could she sense the trail since her captain lied comatose literal light-years away _and_ she'd never felt anything like it before; and why, oh, _why_ did her journey lead her to Warp Darkmatter?

A tiny voice gave its opinion from the back of her head, but she shut up the little nuisance.

"I am not getting myself shot dead over guesswork," Mira declared. "Until I find bona-fide answers, no more 'herbal tea' for me. You'd think the people of Rhizome would know about any 'natural' foods and drink mixes that aren't fit for Tangean consumption… After I'm out of here, I'm giving Professor Triffid an excruciatingly thorough pop quiz on the subject."

"I hear you talking, princess, so I guess that means you're awake."

Mira sighed. "Speak of the devil… What do you want, Darkmatter? Just so you know, this mattress is fit for royalty; it sings me a free siren song whenever I'm feeling tired and blue."

"That was bad, and you should feel bad. But if you'd rather nap instead of getting a good stretch outside your room for once…"

Every particle of exhaustion abandoned Mira for parts unknown.

"You'd let me out?"

"I figured that might get your attention. Sure, why―?"

"Whoa, Darkmatter. Don't think I'm not on to how your schemes work. What's the catch?"

"Same catch as with the food and showers: Behave yourself like a nice guest―"

Mira snorted.

"―and you'll find I can be a reasonable host; this is a safe-house, not a dungeon on Planet Z. Anyway, I imagine you're probably bored to tears penned up like a Moozle, and I hate dealing with crying women."

Mira slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Wow. I gave you that one. Maybe I _will_ have you fully trained before the year's out."

"Don' puf yur lu-h."

"Sorry, I don't speak 'Talking-Through-Fingers'."

"I said don't push your luck, Darkmatter."

"Excuse me, princess, but which of us is in the better position for negotiating right now?"

"Are you going to let me out or not?"

"Hmmm… Maybe I will. On the other hand, maybe I…shouldn't? You might rush me and try to pick my brain with your creepy Tangean powers once you're out – it wouldn't end well for you, but you might try. Then again…"

The hand no longer covering Mira's mouth curled its fingers, its nails itching for a nice rake across Warp's smug face. And, _oh_ , how hard she bit her lip…

Footsteps walked away from outside the door, and silence reigned until Mira's pent up aggravation released itself. The mattress endured the (muffled) force of a ragged yowl, and if not for the door opening―

She slammed her temper to a screeching halt.

The door was open.

The door. Was. Open.

Mira stared at what appeared to be part of a living area beyond her room, and after a good minute, she rose to her feet. However, she stood motionless; she knew "too promising" when she saw it. Warp's sense of humor could make him shut the door at any time, most likely when she came within a single stride of relative freedom.

"I can say this much for Zurg's dungeons: they don't play with my expectations," Mira groused.

Steeling herself for disappointment, she walked forward, measuring steps in inches, but her way out remained the farther she ventured. Feeling fresh(er) air blowing softly on her face, she stopped a single footstep before liberty and gave Warp every chance to deliver his cruel punchline.

The door remained open.

Partial disbelief floating around her mind, Mira crossed the threshold and pinched herself twice for absolute certainty upon hearing the door slide shut behind her. She walked free of that bland, depressing room at last. At last!

Yet Mira's joy revived her caution. Warp Darkmatter's domain surrounded her, and she, weaponless, without even a shred of protective outerwear, now needed to navigate unknown territory at least twice the size of where she stayed before. No way could Mira count herself safe until she ditched Agent Z's lair and returned to Star Command.

"Mira to mission log: Miss you, Buzz – more than ever," she said under her breath, giving herself a moment before looking around.

The one most obvious thing she suspected already: A good deal of well-spent unibucks financed the safe-house's design. Top-grade materials formed the floor, windowless walls, and ceiling, and they looked sparkling clean. None of the color or pattern choices made for eyesores either; complementing shades of blues and grays blended nicely with one another―

―and a multi-layered, multi-armed security system waited within the whole artifice. The faster she discovered how she ghosted safely through it, the faster she could scram.

Clues. Piecing together the puzzle of her prison required clues. The safe-house's schematics would make a nice if rather improbable discovery…

Taking a better view of the living area, Mira found it surprisingly smaller than her initial estimation. Most of the space held different furniture pieces – a recliner, a couch, a small beverage table between the two, a lamp resting on the beverage table, and a couple of full bookcases – sitting on a plush carpet. A vid-screen rested inside the wall on the bookcases' right side, embedded shelves beneath them holding several cases of movies, games, and music CDs.

"Actual cases with CDs? Talk about old school," she whispered.

Aside from three closed doors other than hers, Mira saw nothing more to the living area. No gaudy adornments of wealth hung on the walls or sat on display, and the word "luxurious" described the furniture and vid-screen to but a limited point.

One nearly empty room and a rather normal-looking main space – not what Mira expected from a conceited soldier of fortune who "earned" enough personal income to _buy_ his own _moon_.

"Probably saved any tricking-out for his bedroom, if his precious vase is any indication." She shuddered. "No, Mira, do not imagine anything more than that."

Clues. What clues could she find here? Nothing leaped out at her yet, but maybe the humble surroundings themselves spoke volumes. This safe-house appeared way too ordinary upon first glance, enough that Mira suspected _everything_ linked to the hidden security system somehow.

Mira's compilation of secret escape routes found typically within villain strongholds ran through her mind. Might she find a hidden doorway behind the bookshelves? Perhaps she would stumble upon a hatch beneath one of the furniture pieces?

After a moment's consideration, those ploys seemed more characteristic of a second-rate crime boss with a flair for trite dramatics, and, though Mira hated admitting the reality, Warp operated beyond schemes so obvious when dealing with experienced adversaries. The first twenty passageways Mira reviewed on her list, including the two she already considered, probably ended in incinerators - or a fireweed pit; Darkmatter built this safe-house on Rhizome, after all - or sent victims straight into space. She could not afford underestimating the gimmick-savviness of the double-agent who worked with Buzz Lightyear and Evil Emperor Zurg _and_ lived long enough to enjoy over twenty years' worth of profits from both.

Details. She needed more details.

Mira's next, more cautious steps led her past the outwardly mundane couch, around the possibly treacherous recliner, and toward the simple-seeming vid-screen, her interest piqued by the CDs – hopefully real ones and not triggers for any traps.

"Having fun making the most paranoid Ranger proud, princess?"

This time, Mira's refused jolting; she sensed Warp's presence when she stepped outside her room, and her peripheral vision caught sight of him the moment she passed the recliner. He lounged while thumbing through a book, so it appeared.

She deigned replying, "Practically anything is fun after being freed from a jail cell."

"A jail cell with a comfy mattress, three square meals a day, and access to a nice bathroom and shower. Also, no psychotic cellmates – always a bonus, though the crazies _do_ keep you on your toes."

"Speaking from experience?"

"You can't find every one of Zurg's contacts stinking up the seedy bars and back-alleys of Tradeworld."

"Here I thought stinking up Tradeworld further wasn't physically possible. Don't tell me that cybernetic arm of yours has an 'escape from prison' button."

"…and where would the fun be in _that_?"

Mira let out a puff through her nose and began reading music CD labels. A few titles she recognized, mostly rock and roll albums Buzz loved playing at his backyard barbecues.

"Didn't peg you as a fan of the classics, princess. Can't blame you, though; 'Free Bird' is super catchy."

Catching herself mid-hum, Mira blushed.

"What?" Warp chuckled. "It's not a bad thing."

"I-I never said it was!"

"Sounds like a _classic_ case of denial."

"That was bad, and you should―"

"Don't wear out one of my lines, princess."

"Even Norbert Klerm doesn't have the money or connections to copyright a universal phrase, Darkmatter."

"Ugh. Here's an extra caveat to our deal: Remind me of that wimpy geek sometime around the fifteenth of Never." Warp flipped a page. "His type of slime is just pathetic."

Limiting her response to, "No arguments there," Mira resumed reading. Rock and roll transitioned into metal, then jazz, and then actual classical music.

Surprise after surprise… Was it Thursday already?

Mira shrugged and examined more CD cases. For all the things she and her father disagreed upon when discussing "outsider inferiority", she hooked King Nova with one listen to her favorite bits of Beethoven. That said, the big B settled into a comfy niche on this shelf, and Mira picked out some other composers she enjoyed: Bach, Mozart, Korsakov, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and…Debussy?

"'Clair de Lune', Darkmatter? Awfully soft and romantic…"

"Not stereotyping me over the classical music in general?"

"I have the card if you want me to deal it."

"Personally, I'd discard and draw; you don't have a strong hand keeping ideas _that_ conventional, princess."

"Mm. Maybe not," Mira conceded. She glanced back over the other titles. " _Toccata and Fugue in D minor_ , _The Rite of Spring_ , Beethoven's _Symphony No. 6_ , _The Firebird_ ballet… You've got some grand pieces here."

"Yup." Another page turned. "I know."

"Found a nice little retreaux hole-in-the-wall that was all stocked-up?"

"Nope. Black market."

"You did not," Mira scoffed.

"'S true. I traded twenty menthol KOOLs for the whole batch."

"If that _is_ true, that's the cheapest—"

"Oh, come on, princess. _Me_ , cheap? Remember the private moon? The asteroid summer home? The very well-paid bikini-clad floozies under my employ? I have the cash for a few old CDs and to spare. And menthol KOOLs don't even exist."

"Well, if you haven't already guessed, recreational drugs aren't really part of my spheres of expertise – or practical choice."

"But I can see it now: Your Highness soaring higher than a Roswellian weather balloon thanks to your 'practical' knowledge of illegal, addictive substances used during down-time at Star Command or another one of Tangea's excruciating galas." Mira heard the smirk in Warp's voice as he jabbed, "Gotta have _something_ to take the edge off if there's no one serving wine, right?"

"I think I'll stick with the occasional glass of wine; less likely to get me arrested, humiliated, my brain degenerated, etcetera. _In vino veritas_ , _in aqua sanitas_ and such, you know."

"Eh, not much fun, but if you don't have your health…"

"Like that time you decided to test the 'beer and liquor' theory at your twenty-third birthday party, ended up hospitalized for three days, and almost got discharged from Star Command? Oh, and that's not counting you upchucking on Buzz. Twice."

Mira, now examining the video games, none of which she played or even knew, heard the book slap shut before Warp exclaimed, "Oh, for cryin' out loud, does the entire Galactic Alliance _need_ to know that story?"

"It's a rather effective cautionary tale. I prefer the unabridged version Buzz brings out for the first-year rookies. Nice and gruesome."

"So, imagining unholy taco and snow-cone abominations nauseates you, but not the joys of my experience with alcohol poisoning? Tch, I'm glad my suffering amuses you, ya little sadist."

Oh, how she contemplated reigniting the argument from the Altair Rigel affair…but upon remembering her lack of escape-helpful clues and details, Mira stood, stepped back two paces, and switched tack.

"You haven't answered my initial question. _Clair de Lune_?" she asked, her line of sight tracing the wall before her and a patch of ceiling above.

"Don't have to answer anything."

"Ooh." Mira brought forth her best nosy tabloid reporter impression. "Am I scratching the surface of _the_ Warp Darkmatter's _true_ psyche? Have I, perhaps, caught sight of the dark-enshrouded phantoms of your surely haunted, woeful past that maybe, just _maybe_ drove you to consummately adopt the dreaded persona of Agent Z?"

" _Yes_. From finding atypical musical compositions on my CD shelf, you're _so_ close to unraveling the _haunted_ , _woeful_ mystery of _me_ , Princess Nova. _Bravo_. I simply cannot wait for you to _blind_ the Galactic Alliance with your _clarifying_ discovery."

Mira couldn't help a brief chuckle. "There is such a thing as too much sarcasm, Darkmatter."

"Not in my house, there isn't."

"Hmph. On your part."

"Exactly. You catch on quick when you aren't chomping through your bit."

"Certainly not a bit of your design."

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it, princess."

"Not happening."

"Which part? Knocking it or trying it?"

"What do you think?"

"Man, this whole hypothetical you-and-me thing really bothers you, doesn't it?"

Mira wheeled around. "If you'd stop being such a shameless fl…"

No female Space Ranger, not even the most sheltered first-year rookies, avoided getting an unexpected eyeful of shirtless man at one point or another; and those ladies who ran patrols on trash-heaps like Tradeworld saw far worse. Mira never hardened herself fully to either eventuality – her nature didn't work that way – but she adopted tried and true coping methods and moved on.

Then there occurred nastiness like Zurg's "Green Winds of Change" mutagen or the devolution gas incident and the aftermath. Or that one time Booster and XR forced the former into a Ranger suit about three sizes too small. Just…ick.

Although, in this moment, "ick" failed phasing into Mira's mind at all. The reverberating voice of Cirra Mistral, Star Command's ruling Queen of Flings, let fly her trademark phrase instead, a languid, drawling _"Smokin'."_

Warp didn't even bother looking up from his book.

"My face is still up here, princess. Hasn't moved or anything."

Blushing furiously, Mira felt torn between three opposing options: suffering through her embarrassment with royal dignity, letting a punch loose at Darkmatter and suffering the consequences, or, the more appealing choice, saving her dignity and his security system the effort and slugging herself instead.

Buzz Lightyear, her captain, her inspiration as a Space Ranger, her _friend_ , lied on death's doorstep because of this career criminal who viewed the Galactic Alliance and everyone in it as sources of entertainment and exploitation. Stepping onto Karn while naked and holding bloody steaks held more logic than Mira allowing her ridiculous, adolescent sexual tension to continue any further. What would Buzz even say if he knew?

He needed no words. Merely seeing her friend and captain's disappointment at her stupidity would suffice.

" _The pwincess get her widdle feewings hurt?"_

The condescension – the _audacity_ – of the question shot through Mira's chest. Did she…get her feelings…hurt? _Hurt_?

"Huh?" Warp gave her a strange look. "Is that a trick question?"

"… _excessive emotions…impair your judgment…"_

Excess emotions? Of course she had—

— _lost control, screaming while hurling everything she could grasp between her fingers at her father, through whom the projectiles phased harmlessly. Gripping nothing but air at last, Mira ran to King Nova and began pounding her small fists against him._

" _Stop it! STOP IT, IT'S NOT FAIR! She's gone, so STOP IT! LEAVE HER ALONE!"_

" _You_ will _be queen someday, Mira, no matter how you want this to end." King Nova's voice, unbroken by his daughter's attack, exuded an uncharacteristic hush. "You must learn to control these overreactions before then or you will rule poorly."_

 _Mira shouted—_

"I AM NOT OVERREACTING!"

The shout's shrillness surprised even Mira when it rang across the safe-house walls, and the following silence hit a point near deafening.

Checking out of reality for a few seconds and then screaming context-lacking ravings into the face of a wanted felon couched inside his own, secured abode… She passed officially from possible-if-extremely-improbable post-life fantasy straight into Crazytown. Mira garnered no mirth at Warp's baffled face, and it seemed neither she nor he knew how to proceed, although Mira's ears might have caught the sound of a mechanical, not-ceiling-fan thing rotating overhead. Though, even if she resisted throwing any punches now, Dr. Animus would still make a field day out of her next psych eval.

"… _excessive emotions…impair your judgment…"_

"Stop it," Mira commanded, erecting every mental shield King Nova taught her. "Whatever you're doing, Darkmatter, just stop it already. I've had enough."

"Hey, I'm not doing anything except reading this stupid book and _trying_ to hold a decent conversation here, but that last one's apparently me expecting too much." Warp, fixing an incensed glare on Mira, slammed the book shut again and tossed it onto the beverage table. "I, for one, have had enough of Your Majesty's royal Tangean psycho-schizo drama unfolding in my house! Since I have no clue what's going on, why don't _you_ 'just stop it'?"

"One: I am not schizophrenic! Two: It's 'psychic', not 'psycho'! Three: I'm just as in-the-dark as you are with this whole situation and would be more than happy to cut out whatever is screwing around with both of us!"

"One: You could'a fooled me! Two: Same difference! Three: Nice sentiment, but it doesn't buy the bread!"

Running her hands through her hair, Mira growled, "Okay, 'psychic' and 'psycho' are completely different – not that you bother to find out how!"

"The only thing I wanna find out is how you got in here so I can fix the _gigantic_ problem with my security and then launch you straight back to Star Command! Let Nebula and the Rangers have fun dealing with your damage. Or maybe the void of uncharted space would take care of you better!"

"No convenient incinerator or skeletal closet into which you can stuff me?"

"Don't tempt me, princess."

The air between the two of them thickened and shuddered with a charge, their two furious wills clashing into each other.

Besides King Nova, Commander Nebula, or Buzz – or herself – Mira never met anyone with Warp Darkmatter's aggravating stubbornness - but at least she, her father, her commander, and her captain actually cared about others. Darkmatter's sheer selfishness rivaled the entire Tangean royal court! Only the nobles' culturally-ingrained insipidity worked in their favor grace-wise, but Warp, more willfully ruthless and sly than a Karnian viper-toothed vulpid, suffered from anything but. How Buzz could convince himself so thoroughly that Agent Z would someday commit himself toward better things beggared belief.

 _I want to pull out every single one of Warp's bullheaded hairs by the root – and Buzz's, too! Stupid, persistent Buzz and his stupid, soft, loving heart–!_

Suddenly, the edges of Mira's mind prickled.

" _...back then...why can't you let it out? ...let it out? …let it out?"_

 _Huh? Buzz?_ This time, his voice did not come from her memory, and she latched onto the voice with all her strength. _Let what out? What do you mean?_

" _...help if you'd let me! ...let me! ...let me!"_

It felt like someone started pressing their fingers into Mira's brain. Buzz's voice sounded so faint, close to fading away altogether, and the more she focused on holding onto it, the more pain and pressure began building throughout her head.

 _What are you talking about, Buzz?_

"... _on you alone! ...alone!"_

 _What, Buzz? What's on me alone?_

 _"...their deaths…!"_

Ice stabbed her heart, and she gasped -

 _\- which turned into a scream. Her father stood over her, but she could see through -_

 _\- green skin to the bone, the remaining pockmarked flesh seared, bloody, and necrotic beyond recognition -_

The sentence, "I need to be alone," rushed straight from Mira's lungs, the princess nearly breathless with fear and revulsion bubbling in her stomach. She rushed past Warp's couch to the door of her room, which opened when she reached it, and fell onto her mattress. There she remained, curled into a trembling ball, praying for the all-too-vivid images to leave her alone, until she somehow fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Buzz Lightyear of Star Command**_

 **Psyche**

 **(Disclaimer: I own nothing of** _ **BLoSC**_ **or Disney. As a head's up, there's a lot of song lyrics in this chapter, but the lyrics serve an obvious purpose (songs in fanfic tend to do) so I hope you enjoy. If you don't want to read through the lyrics here, I would highly recommend listening to legal rips of the songs on Youtube in advance. Oh, and if anyone wants to know, these songs, the rock orchestra part of "Best Day Ever" (2:04-5:30) and the vocal "Ignite" and "Bad Luck Charm" are from the RWBY web animation. Whether the _BLoSC_ characters have seen the show or are fans, who knows? Anyway, enjoy, and feedback, particularly constructive criticism, is appreciated!)**

0000

 _Night on Tangea, the time many Royals considered the most magical, never ceased to amaze Princess Mira. This night, Aura, the Greater Moon, rose in the resplendent glory of her annual Ascension, casting a rich cerulean glow over the planet. Behind her, the Twin Handmaidens, Sentia and Psionia, complemented Aura's beauty with their own lighter and darker blue shades. The ivory-white walls of the palace caught the moons' glows and, like crystal, magnified them until it the whole structure appeared to produce its own light. In the shadowed land below, truly phosphorescent plants and animals gave off their own radiances, blues, greens, reds, pinks, purples, and golds sparkling toward every part of the horizon._

 _Young Mira stood on the largest balcony and leaned out over the balustrade. Her eyes darted between different fluorescent birds soaring between treetops, and she loved catching sight of those glowing red or red-orange especially. Some of those fiery feathers adorned the diadem she now wore, which her father commissioned and then presented to Mira for her seventh birthday. Sometimes, when no nobles clung to her parents and diverted their attentions with paltry requests or attempts at social advancement, she skipped and twirled in the King and Queen's presence, flapping her arms and pretending she, too, could fly, the other birds in her flock all atwitter and fighting among themselves for who would next grant her their pieces of smoldering light._

" _Are there many birds out tonight?"_

 _Before she even turned, Mira felt her mother's warmth and love caress her mind. Queen Andromeda Miranda Nova stepped up beside her daughter, a light blanket wrapped around her shoulders though the night air carried no chill. Her silvery, silken nightgown billowed around her ankles, tiny embedded gemstones giving off the illusion of stars reflected on the surface of gently flowing water._

 _Mira nodded. "I've already counted thirty-five red ones!"_

" _Really? They must be celebrating Aura's Ascension like we are."_

" _Yeah! But I'm, I'm going to try and count one hundred blue birds tonight to honor Aura!"_

 _The laughter-lines around the queen's lips creased gracefully. "I'm sure she will be delighted. Would you mind if I help?"_

 _In no time at all, Andromeda and Mira called out, "One hundred!" together, their last bird a slim, sleek Tangean lunar crane, one of their world's rarest creatures. When the bird passed in front of the Greater Moon, a shimmering comet's tail of long feathers arced across Mira's sight._

" _My, aren't we fortunate! They say a lunar crane rising for Aura's Ascension is good luck," said the queen._

" _And that whoever sees it will have their greatest wish come true that year!" Mira finished._

" _What's this about dreams and luck?"_

 _King Nova joined his wife and daughter on the balcony. He wrapped an arm around Andromeda, kissed her cheek, and asked, "I suppose I missed something?"_

 _Mira hugged him. "We saw a lunar crane!"_

" _Indeed? Well, I'm sorry I couldn't make it here earlier; I don't think I've seen one of those on an Ascension night in a long time. You and your mother are very lucky, Mira."_

" _Do you know what I'm gonna wish for, Father?"_

" _It's 'going to', Mira, not 'gonna', and no, I do not. Would you like to tell me?"_

" _No! It's a se-cret!"_

 _The queen tutted. "Mira! Be polite to your father."_

" _Oh, it's fine, darling. If I recall correctly, if you tell anyone besides Aura your wish on a lunar crane, the luck runs out, so Mira's wise not to share."_

" _That's right. It won't come true if I tell you!" Mira put her hands on her hips proudly. "So I've gotta keep my wish a secret."_

"' _Got to', Mira, and you 'must' keep your wish a secret. I don't know where you hear those more uncouth contractions – certainly not from me. Do you have an idea, dear?"_

" _I don't – oh!"_

 _Suddenly, the queen slumped forward, King Nova tightening his grip around her shoulders and steadying her in the nick of time. Mira, however, hopped back, her heart racing with fear; a weakness she never felt before flowed through the telepathic link she and her mother shared._

" _Meda? My love, you look unwell. Are you all right?" the king asked._

 _Placing a hand on her forehead, Andromeda looked up at him, but Mira noticed something wrong: Her mother's eyes, so bright and gentle normally, looked dim and confused._

" _I-I, um… Perseus, where, where are we? W-What are we…?"_

 _King Nova froze in the ensuing silence, and Mira, looking back and forth between her parents, sensed terror creeping from her father._

" _Come inside, Meda – Mira, you too," he said after a moment. "I think we should retire early tonight. Rest now; I'll send for one of the royal physicians in the morning."_

 _Watching her father guide her mother back into the palace, Mira prayed to Aura, asking if she could change her wish…_

…

"… _wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are – !"_

 _Mira looked up a ladder leading to an open hatch in the ceiling above her and shouted with a young man's voice, "Ion, you dyin' up there? You sound like our cat when she coughs up a hairball!"_

 _A green, scowling face popped into view at the top of the ladder. "Shut up, Warp! Like you could do any better!"_

" _I bet I could! 'Don' wanna be a Mahambian idiot – !'"_

" _Augh, my ears are bleeding! Mom, make him stop!"_

" _Okay, you boys knock it off!" a woman's voice called from around a corner. "You're both giving me a headache."_

" _Hey, Warp started it!"_

" _You're just mad 'cuz you can't sing worth crap, Ion!"_

" _You can't either!"_

" _Look, I don't care who started it, because I'm finishing it." A handsome blue-skinned woman with long, dark blue hair and equally dark blue eyes exited the kitchen and walked toward the ladder. She looked exasperated when she said, "Warp, leave your brother alone; so long as he makes a joyful sound, the Triune doesn't give two rips one way or the other. We've got no one to impress out here in the sticks anyway."_

" _Whoever the Triune is, he must be deaf," Mira grumbled._

" _Warp…"_

" _Alright, alright. If Ion's caterwauling bursts_ your _eardrums, don't come cryin' to me!"_

 _Ion's barely audible voice said, "I bet Warp knows all about crying girls."_

" _I heard that!" Mira raised her fist up at the hatch. "You want a knuckle-sandwich with your popcorn?"_

 _The woman strode to stand between Mira and the ladder. "Warp! Ion! Enough! I didn't raise the two of you to squabble like two-year-olds. The next lunar eclipse isn't for another fifty-two years, and I doubt it'll happen on the same night as a meteor shower, so if either of the two of you ruin this – "_

" _Right, right! Sorry, Mom!" Ion called._

" _Yeah, sorry, Ma. Is the popcorn ready?" Mira asked._

" _As it happens, yes. Actually, Warp, would you get it out of the package and into the bowl? I need to bring up the stereo and get it plugged in, and then we'll be all set!"_

" _Cool! Yeah, I got it."_

 _Mira darted into the kitchen, ripped the top off the bag of popcorn, and poured it out into a large bowl. She then returned to the ladder, scurried up to the roof one-handed without spilling a single kernel, and plopped down next to Ion. A minute later, her mother ascended one-handed as well, carrying an old, beat-up, CD-playing stereo that she plugged into an outlet by the hatch._

 _Sitting behind Mira and Ion, their mother said, "All right, boys, dig in and enjoy. You won't be enjoying popcorn like this for another fifty-two years." She hugged them both. "Love you two, you know? You've given me more gray hairs than I care to count, but I wouldn't trade the two of you for all the beaches of Mahambas VI."_

" _I dunno, I might trade Ion and his ugly mug for one of those Mahambian bikini models one day," Mira snarked, earning a half-hearted punch in the shoulder from her brother._

 _The popcorn ran out long before either the eclipse or the meteor shower ended, and the three watched the moon turn blood red behind hundreds of white-yellow fireballs passing through the atmosphere. Behind them, the soft, calming styling of Debussy's "Clair de Lune" drifted on the air…_

0000

Mira awoke groggy and irritated. Her head hurt but, thankfully, spared her any intense pounding or pressure and allowed her to orient herself and sit up with little problem.

However, when she reached full wakefulness, neither pain nor general tiredness prevented her from remembering her dream.

"Yesterday, and now today… No, neither of those visions were simple dreams; what I saw was far too specific and makes too much sense. I'm…" Mira sat up and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm tapping into Warp's _memories_ somehow. What in Saturn's rings did that stupid tea do to me? I've never reached into Warp's brain or used my telepathy on him. I've never _wanted_ to! Who in their right mind…?"

Mira paused, flashing-back to the memories belonging to her. The temperature around her dropped, and she shivered, wrapping her arms about herself.

"Why would my mind keep digging up what happened to my mother with everything else going on? What does she have to do with…? Wait. What did Buzz say? 'Their' deaths? Who does he mean? No one else I've known and been close to on Tangea has died, so..." Bracing herself, she recalled the most sickening image she envisioned the day before. "Those wounds… They looked like some sort of chemical burns, and the skin, it was _green_."

The face of a single green-skinned young man shouting, "Shut up, Warp!" popped to the forefront of Mira's thoughts.

"Ion. Warp's brother. Someone or something killed him, and if my subconscious is relating my mother's death with what happened to him, then Warp took losing Ion at least as badly as I took losing Mom." Mira clicked her tongue. "Huh. I guess my teasing him about Debussy wasn't so far off the mark."

Her satisfaction fell flat, and she continued, "But that still doesn't answer why or how this would be happening in the first place. What's the common denominator here?"

From the darkest depths of her heart, she heard, " _Who are you?"_

"Buzz? No! No, that can't happen! It _won't_! I…" Mira clapped her hands against her head. "I don't know if I could…"

She jerked when Warp knocked on the door.

"Princess? You doin' alright in there?"

"I don't know. Am I?" Mira muttered, a tear slipping down her face. "No. Yes. I don't know. I'm just," she let out a long breath, "I'm just tired of this soap opera we've fallen into and can't wait to get back to normal."

"I get'cha. So, you up to coming out again? Methinks you need some major unwinding, and I've got just the trick."

"…really? What happened to launching me straight back to Star Command and letting the Rangers deal with my damage?"

"We haven't found out how you got in here yet, have we? Besides, I'm not quite ready for the Rangers to come bloodhounding around Rhizome; I gotta get all my Moozles in a row first."

"Ah. Still, you want to risk going through more psycho-schizo dramatics, as you put it so eloquently? I would think you'd be all for keeping me penned up in here after yesterday."

"Hey, I might not like the copy-and-paste soaps they show on the net, but now that I've slept on things, _you've_ got me intrigued. It's not every day I get to dig up the dark-enshrouded phantoms of the woeful past of the Princess of Tangea, especially the phantoms that maybe, just maybe, drove her to become a Space Ranger."

"Tch. Now who's being a sadist?"

"Not once did I claim to be a saint, princess. Talk to Buzz if you want the straight-laced goody-two-shoes treatment, but never let it be said I can't be a nice guy when I feel like it. You comin' out, or what?"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Mira sighed. "Keep your shirt on."

"Oh? Here I thought Her Majesty couldn't get her fill of the eye-candy. After all, like any good treat, I live to be served on every occasion."

Mira's nails bit into her palms. "I would _not_ start down that road again were I you, Darkmatter. I don't sample goods from a salesman who's more intent on selling himself, especially when he's not nearly as desirable as what he advertises up front."

Warp barked out a laugh. " _There's_ that fire. I was hoping you'd say something like that, princess; today'll be more fun than I thought. Now come on. Don't expect for me to wait on you forever."

Huffing, Mira rose from the mattress and walked outside, catching up with Warp in but three strides and following him through one of the mystery doors from the previous day. Walking side-by-side at an unhurried pace, they proceeded down a flight of stairs.

"You know, for all the times you call me 'princess', one would think you'd be willing to wait on me for real at least once," Mira said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"And make an exception for that 'everyone-should-treat-me-like-any-other-person' thing you're so insistent on?" Warp quirked an eyebrow back at her. "Can you say 'double standard'?"

Mira shrugged. "Eh, it was worth a shot. I don't think you've ever even called me 'Mira' once."

"Is that an invitation?"

"I wouldn't look too far into it. Come to think of it, you ever call any women by their first names – their real ones, anyway?"

"Who needs real names when you have the inspired brilliance of 'Galaxxia' or 'Qassiopeia'?"

"Let me guess, the first one with two 'X's' and the last with a 'Q'? _Please_. I've heard more creative names given to thoroughbred racing puffers."

"I don't suppose it's too much for me to hope Your Majesty is a gambling woman on the sly? Surely the Tin Toy's rubbed off on you a little bit."

"Close, but no cigar. I save my risk-taking behaviors for defending the galaxy, or standing around talking with you."

"Heh. Good thing, too, because we're here."

Warp opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, and Mira, eyes widening, walked into the one room she hoped against hope to find.

"Sweet mother of Venus, I _love_ it," she said, taking in every inch of Warp's personal gym.

While the blue and green room measured maybe a quarter of the size of Star Command's exercise yard, it could accommodate two people without any problems. Glancing around, she spied several different pieces of workout equipment – weights, ellipticals, an old-fashioned punching bag, and more – ringed by a jogging track, and then four fair-sized speakers hanging higher up on the walls caught her eye.

"Of course," Mira whispered. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Welcome to the crème de la crème of Casa de Darkmatter, princess. What's a real safe-house without a place to keep my finest assets looking their best? Can't have any love-handles when I get back to facing off against the likes of Team Lightyear." Warp gestured around the room. "Get crackin' however you want. I'll start up the tunes and then join you."

"Hold up, Darkmatter." Mira tugged on the bottom half of her toga. "You got some shorts I could borrow? I'm not giving you any chance to ogle me in this thing with all the moving around I'm gonna do."

"Ogle? Moi? I'm hurt, princess; you mistake me for some sort of womanizing scoundrel with little moral compunction."

"Too bad that's what anyone means when they say 'Warp Darkmatter'."

"Ouch," Warp chuckled. "Stepped into that one, didn't I? Yeah, I got a pair. Gimme a sec'."

One set of loose Warp-scented boxers later – sweet mother of Venus, her thighs felt tiny – Mira went through her warm-up routine, and once finished, she started a brisk jog around the track and reveled in the rhythm of her feet pounding against the floor.

"Oh, this feels great," she breathed, each syllable uttered alongside an individual footstep. One, two, one, two...

Before she finished her second lap, a rockin' melody started playing over the speakers. The thrumming of an electric guitar, the hammering of drums, and a grandiose orchestra accompaniment matched the wild glee in her heart, and Mira burst from a jog into a run. Her visions forgotten momentarily, she wondered how many laps she could complete before the song finished and ended up challenging herself to twelve.

On a particularly thrilling guitar riff, Mira heard herself laugh, and on a whim after reaching her twelve-lap mark a minute or so later, she pitched herself forward into several fast cartwheels. Landing on her feet and facing the way she came, she then leaned backward and completed one, two, three, four, five, six successive backflips. The last backflip became a rapid flying twist, which she also landed without losing an iota of balance.

Mira stood, triumphant. "Whoo! Eat your heart out, Cirra!" Her bluster receded with the end of the music, and she then smoothed down her hair and wiped sweat from her brow. "Never thought I'd be happy just to feel hot and grimy after a good run again."

Mira spied movement out of the corner of her eye and heard several loud thuds during a break in the music. Turning toward the punching bag, she laid her eyes on Warp, who let loose before her. His face the picture of concentration, he went through a series of attacks, each movement powerful and transitioning fluidly into the next.

" _Hello there, my enemy!_

 _Welcome to my punching spree._

 _This is where I lay waste, and you'll go home bleeding!_

 _Didn't have to be this way,_

 _Should have stayed out of the fray,_

 _Now you're headed for a beating..."_

Mira envied the bag none of the raw, resounding punches, kicks, and elbows knocking it silly, and the more blows she witnessed, the more she observed that Warp attacked to the new song's rhythm. For the most part, he succeeded, and whenever he missed a beat, he recovered within the next move or two and resumed like nothing went wrong.

Slowly, with her female inclinations clamped down tight, Mira allowed her eyes to stray over the muscles rippling smoothly beneath Warp's skin. Physical attraction aside, his swiftness of movement and lack of visible fat given his bulk impressed her. Not to mention, if the very slight sweatiness told her anything, he had yet to begin exerting himself. No wonder he kept up with Buzz so well.

 _Is he imagining Buzz in the bag's place, I wonder._

Warp's gaze darted over to her, and, smirking, he asked, "You wanna join me?"

Returning his smirk, she replied, "Sure, why not?" and jogged to the other side of the punching bag.

"Think fast, princess."

Warp sent a lightning-fast jab into the bag, and Mira returned it with a back-fist-right-hook combo. He caught it dead-center with a savage elbow strike, and she roundhouse-kicked the bag before it could slam into her.

Back and forth they traded blows, each trying to catch the other off-guard while matching the music. To Mira's overall pride, she slipped off-tempo only once, but on that occasion, she screwed up a simple move and swore she heard Warp snicker. She overcame most of her embarrassment and kept going, but Warp dodged to one side when her last blow, a vicious donkey-kick, swung the bag up in a wide arc and nearly snapped the chain.

"Easy there, princess. I'd rather not have to replace this anytime soon." He caught the bag and steadied it before snapping his fingers and stopping the music. "You know, you aren't half bad."

"Thanks. You're not bad yourself."

"Too bad your teammates didn't really let you have at me during our last match on Tradeworld; I could've seen what you're really made of." A second passed, and Warp's eyes sparked with a mischievous glint. "Say, there's a thought. Since we're here, how about you and I go a round?"

"Me? Spar with you?"

"Think about it: Agent Z versus the Princess of Tangea - the grudge match of the century. I don't have any gloves lyin' around, but somehow I get the idea you wouldn't mind too much. Wha'dya say, princess?" He grinned. "I bet you can't take me without you freaky Tangean mind powers giving you an edge."

Mira blinked. A chance to have a go at Warp Darkmatter? Without gloves? While he said to her face that only her Tangean abilities made her good enough to fight him normally?

 _I couldn't have asked for a better, more obvious cliché._

"I'll take that bet, Darkmatter, and raise you one," Mira said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't think you can take me without that security deposit you call a right arm."

"A fight with no enhancements on either side?" Warp admired his cybernetic limb, smiled to himself, and let the limb drop to his side. "You sure know how to show a guy a good time, princess."

Mira faked a curtsy. "Co-Master of Ceremonies for Star Command's legendary mixers the past five years running: Mira Nova at your service. Or didn't you know?"

"Moving up in the world, I see. Cirra Mistral your copilot?"

"The obvious stylistic choice for all the lonely hearts in the crowd, while I bring the class for the real party."

"Maybe I should've tried ghosting into Star Command instead of suffering through the fopmeisters of Tangea." Warp flashed his canines. "Here's hoping you fight as well as you talk smack."

Raising her fists and bending her knees, Mira circled right, and Warp went left, snapping his fingers once again. Both of them watched one another's every moment, gauging any weaknesses and preparing for the first move.

 _"Pain_

 _Is your reward for being near me."_

Mira struck first, darting at Warp and aiming a punch at his face, but he blocked her at the last second.

 _"Fate_

 _Won't be your friend when I'm around."_

Before he could grab her wrist, Mira jumped out of his reach. However, Warp followed, matching her quickness, and she narrowly ducked an elbow swinging at her left temple.

 _"Blame_

 _Me for the tragedies that follow."_

Leaning onto the balls of her feet and keeping her knees bent, Mira drove forward. Warp pivoted on one foot and avoided taking an elbow into his stomach, but as Mira passed, his flesh-and-blood hand chopped down, striking her between her shoulder blades.

 _"Grave_

 _The situations that surround."_

Warp didn't hit Mira particularly hard, but the blow combined with hitting the mat still knocked some of the breath out of her. Yet, her mind remained sharp, and she rolled to her right, intense relief flooding through her when she heard Warp's foot come down hard where her head had been. Quickly, Mira rolled back onto her feet, but Warp pressed his advantage and put her on the defensive.

 _"I'm a harbinger,_

 _I cannot lie,_

 _I will change the color of your life._

 _I don't mean to bring you pain,_

 _But I will, just why, I can't explain."_

"Had enough already, princess?"

 _"I am no one's blessing._

 _I'll just bring you harm."_

"I'm more than just a pretty face, Darkmatter."

 _"I'm a cursed black cat,_

 _I'm an albatross,_

 _I'm a mirror broken."_

Finding an opening, Mira let loose another roundhouse kick, but her heel met the palm of Warp's left hand.

"Your pretty face is telegraphing your moves, princess."

Warp's fingers wrapped around Mira's ankle before she could withdraw, and he yanked her off balance.

 _"Sad to say,_

 _I'm your bad luck charm."_

With one powerful, wrenching twist, Mira's world spun sideways. When she hit the only-somewhat-forgiving mat again, her surprise caused her to misjudge movements she needed to make to catch herself properly, and her head rapped against the floor.

Green and blue stars exploded in her vision.

Lying dazed, pain blooming in her skull, Mira heard another snap that cut off the music. A couple of seconds later, Warp knelt over her, his face intruding into her rather picturesque view of the ceiling.

"Hey, you - "

 _" - alright, Lil' Blue?"_

Mira groaned, "Call me 'Lil' Blue' again and I'll make your eye a lil' black an' blue, Ion."

Warp's eyes widened, and Mira, still blinking away stars, realized what came out of her mouth.

"You don't need to ask," she said. "Where and how did I hear about your brother, right? And I reserve the right to remind you of your claim that my little Tangean psycho-schizo soap opera intrigues you in the first place. Don't start crying to me that you got what you asked for."

Warp swallowed. "Right. Yeah. I remember." He shifted himself back when Mira sat up. "How the frag do you even know Ion used to call me that? Tch. Buzz must've flapped his gums to infinity and beyond."

"I've never heard Buzz say anything about your past, whatever he knows of it. I... I heard Ion's voice - sensed it, whatever - right after I bonked my head. No idea how. Maybe that narcotic drink thing I mentioned on the first day I was awake here, but without grilling Professor Triffid, I can't say."

"Huh. Interesting. And if the drink has nothing to do with it?"

"Then I'll cross that bridge and let you know how it goes." Mira gave Warp a querying look. "Somehow, being called 'Lil' Blue' doesn't sound like something a tough guy like you would tell anyone willingly. How'd Buzz wheedle it out of you?"

"Spilled that one on another night I indulged a bit too much." Warp shrugged. "Told Buzz if he ever used it, he'd find himself on the ground with a broken jaw, and he never brought it up again."

Mira's ears picked up a split-second hitch in the word "indulged", and she filed it away for future reference. With that, she rose carefully to her feet, and Warp followed suit.

He asked, "You wanna keep going?"

"Yep. I'm peachy." Mira rotated her neck until it popped. "You think I'm gonna let a little bump hold me back from getting the better of you?"

"Never said anything of the sort. Though," Warp smirked, "that pretty peachy face of yours is the only thing you've got over me at this point."

"And you'll be nursing a broken ego under the iron pit at my center by the time we're through." Mira began circling right. "Get ready to pucker up and eat my pretty peachy fist like a man, Darkmatter."

"Heh. We'll see if Your Royal Tartness doesn't get too bruised to dish out one good slice."

Her eyes trained on her opponent's every move, Mira let out a long breath and relaxed, letting her anxiousness flow out of her. Even fighting with one arm, Warp's bulk would win him any out-and-out contest of strength, and it would take at least twice the number of hits to bring him down than her. More: Both of these facts he already knew and knew she knew.

So, definitely no need to rush her sweet victory; better a slow, lasting burn than a quick burst that faded in a moment or two, no matter how impressive the display.

"All righty, then. Think fast, Lil' Blue; it's on for real this time."


	6. Chapter 6: Interlude

_**Buzz Lightyear of Star Command**_

 **Psyche**

 **(Interlude: Buzz Lightyear)**

 **(Disclaimer: I own nothing of BLoSC or the Disney company. This is a bonus chapter I've had floating around in my head for a long time now, a sort of chapter 2.5, if you will, taking place in between Buzz suspending Mira from active duty and then facing Warp again. Honestly, I have no idea when I will get the next main chapter out, so this is to, hopefully, keep you entertained in the meantime. For those who want to know, the song playing in Buzz's quarters is "All That Matters", another awesome song from RWBY that I highly recommend you listen to legally from Rooster Teeth before you read this chapter. Enjoy, and feedback, particularly constructive criticism, is appreciated! Thank you!)**

 **0000**

Buzz Lightyear, the Pride of Star Command, hero of the Galactic Alliance, champion of all things good and true, liked to think his years of service shaped him into a man more than capable of rolling with the punches and handling every situation that came his way. Very little caught him off guard for long, and he lost count of how many evil plots he foiled through his savvy wit, extensive training, or sheer, unbreakable determination in the face of miserable odds. Aiding his methods toward those ends, he enjoyed preparing himself for every contingency to the point where everyone around him questioned his sanity, but somehow, someway, to his immense satisfaction, the universe almost always ended up proving him right. On the occasions when he needed to eat a slice of humble pie, it sometimes took a while for him to swallow his pride and acknowledge where he went wrong, but he made sure to take special note of his failures and do whatever it took to better himself for next time.

If he improved not for his own sake, then he bettered himself for his comrades, especially his team.

Besides working well with them and enjoying their friendship, his desire for strength, preparedness, and adaptability formed a main part of why he chose Mira Nova, Booster Munchapper, and XR to be his new partners. Even if he never said it in so many words, they inspired him; they complimented his strong points and accounted for his foibles, reminded him that all sorts, not merely himself, formed the Galactic Alliance and Star Command, and, finally, helped him keep developing as a captain-rank Space Ranger, friend, and role model to everyone who fought for truth and justice.

XR's many, near-human character flaws kept Buzz alert for weaknesses and temptations sneaking in to plague his team. More: The little robot's diamond core within the rough reminded Buzz to be encouraging, gracious in forgiveness, and to look beyond the surface to the hidden depths inside everyone.

Booster's simple but powerful loyalty, honesty, kindness, and gentle nature reminded Buzz that, in the end, being willing to love others unconditionally and stick by their sides through thick and thin aided the forces of good more than any punch or wrist-mounted laser ever could.

Then, enter Mira Nova.

When Mira and Buzz first met on Tangea and fought together to protect her people, he remembered seeing a younger version of himself in her. Despite and perhaps because of her circumstances, the princess could not tolerate injustice and stood up for the right thing, even if it meant going against popular opinion and suffering intense disapproval and dislike from others. Her wit easily matched his, too, and, though it sometimes served to her detriment, she stuck to her guns like galactic glue whenever someone challenged her worldview. Every time she ate a slice of the same humble pie from which Buzz himself sometimes dined, he felt her embarrassment and rueful acceptance of her screw-up like they bloomed from his own heart. However, whenever she overcame herself and her circumstances to excel beyond anyone's expectations, he found himself rejoicing with the enthusiasm he granted his own victories.

Though he yet never married or raised his own children, Buzz considered Mira like his own daughter and Booster and XR his sons – or maybe "younger siblings" fit better; he was still a reasonably young man, not too far removed in years from Mira. Still, regardless of age, he resolved to stay by their sides and work for their best interests, whatever turmoil and struggles came their way, and keep his focus on helping them succeed to infinity and beyond.

This said, when anyone preyed upon his partners, Buzz took special affront. Though he knew that, for the most part, letting them fight their own battles with their own capabilities forged them into stronger people through the fire, the urge to position himself between them and their aggressors popped into his mind before his instinct to do anything else.

Of course, the situation went ten different ways of complicated when one of said aggressors used to be the person Buzz considered his best and closest friend, and no ounce of wit, training, or determination left him anywhere close to prepared.

0000

Close to sunset on Capital Planet's western hemisphere, Team Lightyear returned to Star Command from their mission against Warp Darkmatter on Tradeworld. The moment she exited _42_ , Mira hung up her suit and went straight to her quarters without looking at or saying one word to her teammates. Then, while she went her own way, Buzz strode straight to the command center and gave his report to Commander Nebula.

"I was afraid something like this was gonna happen; Mira's never been one to ignore extended insults to her honor," Nebula said with a long-suffering sigh. "You did the right thing, Buzz, especially keepin' your temper under wraps. Excellent job."

"Thank you, sir. Mira shouldn't be in the field until she can control her anger and act like the experienced Ranger you and I both know she is."

"Agreed. Zurg's flunkies hurtin' someone is one thing, but an innocent bystander bein' injured by a Ranger's carelessness is a different degree of serious."

"Yes, sir."

Nebula remained silent for a few seconds, and then he said, "Buzz… What, exactly, did you and Mira argue about after Darkmatter made his escape?"

Buzz replied, "I would rather not go into the details, sir," and looked past his commander to watch the LGMs working tirelessly at their stations.

Nebula grunted. "Come into my office for a minute."

"But –"

"That's an order."

Ten seconds later, a reluctant Buzz filing in after him, Nebula shut the door to his space and pressed the soundproofing switch. While the air took on a quality he dubbed 'condensed', the commander sat behind his desk, leaned back in his chair, folded his arms, and said, "Have at it."

"Sir –"

"Buzz." An empathetic tone entered Nebula's voice. "Don't think I don't know when you need to talk. Besides, I ain't lettin' you outta here until you do, so the sooner you unload, the sooner you and I can get on with our day. So, have at it."

Buzz inhaled, exhaled, inhaled again, and, knowing his commander would not budge by the tiniest fraction, surrendered.

"We… We argued about Warp, sir. Mira took extreme umbrage at how I still believe that, someday, he'll give up his evil ways and come back to us." Buzz sat down, and it took a moment longer than he intended for him to say, "Not only did Mira doubt me and tear into my conviction, she… She called me childish and stupid for believing in him after all the horrible things he's done. To be honest, sir, it took everything I had to not do or say something both of us would've regretted, and I'm glad she hasn't spoken to me since. I don't know if I can trust myself to answer her with enough restraint for a long while." Buzz rolled his lips between his teeth before saying, "What she said... Her words cut deep, sir."

Folding his fingers beneath his chin, Nebula took an extended breath and released it, his eyes closing. For several seconds, he said nothing.

"…sir?"

"Buzz… Listen. I'm not gonna say Mira was right to lash out at you or phrase things how she did. That, at least, was unprofessional and didn't help an already tense situation."

Buzz, his heart dropping, opened his mouth to reply –

"Before you say anything," Nebula continued, "I want you to know I'm sayin' this as your friend who's known you an' Warp for over twenty years an' seen what you two've gone through." He opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto Buzz's. "It's been a while, a long while, since I've seen a bond like yours come through Star Command; dozens of 'like brothers' an' 'like sisters' schticks come an' go through our doors, but you've got the real McCoy. There ain't no doubt in my mind about that. Your faith in Warp is more than commendable, an' he's beyond lucky to have someone willin' to believe in him like you do an' still be his friend despite the things he's done. If only every Ranger were half so lucky with their relationships with their teammates, there wouldn't be a bad guy in the universe who could stand against us.

"Buzz, I'm not sayin' you've believed in him for nothin' or that what you feel is stupid – it's not, believe me, not by a long shot – but…" Nebula leaned onto his folded fingers. "Maybe… Maybe it's time you considered, _really_ considered the possibility – "

"No." Buzz leaped out of his chair, his palms slapping down on Nebula's desk. "I'm not giving up on him – Planet Z will freeze over first. Commander, I've _seen_ the good in Warp – seen it with my own eyes more and more as the years have gone by! He's tried harder and harder to hide it, but even Mira, Booster, and XR have seen it! The goodness is there. If he were beyond saving, I'd know it; I'd feel it," he placed his hands on his chest, "right here. He and I, we're…"

"Two sides of the same unibuck."

"Exactly! You know exactly what I'm talking about," Buzz said. "Those years at the Academy, and those years serving as partners, especially after Nana passed away…" Buzz started pacing. "We went through so many of our ups and downs together, sometimes with only each other to count on…"

Nebula didn't answer. Simply, he listened to Buzz go on and watched him pace from one side of the office to the other many, many times.

Several minutes ticked past, and then Buzz, turning to face the door, came to a halt. Slowly, his hands ran backward over his head and down the back of his neck, where they came to rest, fingers interlocked. A shake tiny enough to escape the notice of less-experienced Rangers quivered Buzz's head from left to right.

Nebula, observing the shake along with the tense knuckles protruding from within Buzz's gloves, waited.

"I won't give up on Warp, sir. I can't," the younger Ranger declared at last. "I might as well give up being a Space Ranger if I did; I'd never forgive myself the betrayal of everything I stand for."

He then faced his commander, and, to Nebula's surprise, an unexpected smile shone on Buzz's face.

"I don't know how, why, or when, sir, but he'll come back around. It's not gonna be easy, and things aren't going to go back to exactly the way they were before – I'm not expecting that – but I _know_ somehow, some way, Warp'll see the light. When he does, I'll be right here waiting for him and ready to forgive him, because if I've ever been sure of anything, Commander, it's this:

"Evil never wins, sir. Evil _never_ wins."

Nebula's eyes drifted shut, and the soundproofed air pressed inward. For a moment, nothing existed in the universe but the two Rangers, a hopeful smile, and a professed conviction for the future.

Then, Nebula, shaking his own head by the slightest fraction, said, "If you say so, Buzz. If you say so."

0000

When Buzz entered the privacy of his quarters that night, he released the heavy sigh held within him since leaving the command center. His footsteps, so resolved walking through the halls, turned to trudging, and when he sat on his bunk, he bent over and rested his head in his hands. After a few seconds, Buzz, tired of prolonged silences and hoping to lighten his mood, reached over to his digital terminal and set some songs to playing, but his head soon returned to his hands again.

No one else listened in. Time to be honest with himself.

Nebula said it perfectly: Buzz Lightyear and Warp Darkmatter made up two equal, complementing sides of an amazing whole – their surnames even foreshadowed the fact. Where most would call Buzz straight-laced to the point of being a predictable goody two-shoes, Warp thrived especially in the "rough" part of the phrase "diamond-in-the-rough". In his preference to cut corners and bend the rules whenever convenient, Warp often came through troubles more flexibly and saw solutions where Buzz never would that often caught opponents off-guard. Though, when – not _if_ – Warp crossed the line, he caught more flak than praise for his "improvising", ended up doing Star Command's reputation no favors, and relied on Buzz to bail him out. However, on the flip side, Buzz's sticking to the rules come what may highlighted precisely why the Galactic Alliance considered him a household name among its heroes, an archetype of pure goodness and honesty that reined in and made up for Warp's poorer behaviors. Not to mention, no one could say Star Command's paragon Ranger didn't learn where, when, and how bending the rules worked best.

Of course, Buzz listed his and Warp's similarities with the same ease: intelligence, bravery, stubbornness, athleticism, the drive to succeed, keeping cool under pressure, always rising to a challenge, and sometimes getting caught up in themselves and their own achievements, the last of which often leading them to fail to observe their surroundings or ask for help when they needed it. On a more mundane note, they appreciated good jokes, loved to party, and enjoyed some of the same music – their first bonding experience took place while they rocked out to "Free Bird" together in their dorm room one night. They even shared a fondness for kitty cats, and without hesitation, Buzz joined Warp in mourning when Mrs. Wilde, his old, sweet, yet jumpy ESA-registered feline – and their unofficial dorm room mascot – went to her long-deserved, everlasting buffet in Heaven's great kibble and milk factory. Buzz even gave her a long-thought-out and well-written eulogy before he helped Warp bury her.

Paving the way for Mira, Booster, and XR, Buzz Lightyear and Warp Darkmatter struck a rare balance among Space Rangers, the two of them compensating for weaknesses and combining strengths almost without thought. They learned new things from from each other perpetually, often _because_ they differed so greatly, inspiring the best despite the times when one or both of them acted their worst. Even when upset and finding every bone in the universe to pick with each other, neither could deny the bond of brotherhood that sprouted between them over the years. From their rough start at the Academy, they helped each other through experiences and shared secrets, sorrows, and joys no other person in the Galactic Alliance would ever know, and Buzz considered Warp the brother he never had but always wanted, a bond second only to Buzz's relationship with Nana Lightyear herself.

And Warp, when presented with Zurg's blood-money, threw Buzz by the wayside.

Solemn, semi-jazzy piano and lyrics began playing, and Buzz slipped into deeper introspection.

He held no sort of romantic love with Warp, though a few...parties...still interpreted their relationship as such, and he certainly never asked or wanted Warp to commit his entire life to their bond that way. He doubted _highly_ his friend would even consider the proposition for more than a nanosecond were that the case; the man held a well-documented, die-hard appreciation for the ladies that rivaled even his attachment to cold hard cash. On that note, Buzz always pegged Warp for the eternal bachelor type anyway; he rivaled Cirra Mistral herself for the gold "Total Amount of Casual Flings Held in One Lifetime" award in the Love-'Em-and-Leave-'Em Olympics.

However, though Buzz never judged Warp for his proclivities – he never once approved of them, but he never judged – neither that nor the differences between their personalities and beliefs lead Buzz to even imagine Warp's betrayal, nor the manner of it, with no trace of his body left to confirm his death or give Buzz some hope he survived…

…all done with Zurg's sadistic aid for one cruel purpose.

After Warp's mechanical fist knocked Buzz unconscious, after he woke to a cannon in his face and his former partner grinning down at him while asking, "Surprised?" in a malicious, remorseless voice, after hearing Warp shut down every desperate theory about the reason behind his double-cross, part of Buzz still hoped that the entire Agent Z debacle would end up a masquerade, some sort of strange but welcome plan to take down Zurg from within his own ranks. Hurtful methods or no, he would've leaped on board the moment the opportunity presented itself.

No. That day, the universe pulled the rug out from under Buzz Lightyear and punched him in the gut. For the next ten plus years – and, in truth, the previous ten – he and Warp existed on opposing sides of the law, their brotherhood poisoned by bitterness and a parsec-wide, ever-growing list of Agent Z's transgressions.

Pausing for a moment, Buzz lied back on his bunk and stared at the ceiling.

Warp tried hiding them, tried waving or laughing them off most of the time, but the universe needed to strike Buzz blind _and_ deaf for him to not notice the unhealed wounds his partner carried from his past. Pain and turmoil bubbled continuously from beneath the surface and seeped into every aspect of Warp's life, Mrs. Wilde's companionship helping him cope only so much. Even those not so close to him, like Nebula, Ty, and Rocket, noticed the darkness hanging over him, though they thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie. However, Buzz – sometimes riding on his own hype, he admitted – never gave up on trying to address the issue from every angle he knew, always offering a sensitive ear and shoulder to his best friend.

Every time, Warp withheld the deepest, darkest part of himself. Even during their most personal bonding experiences, when the man strayed to the verge of letting it all out, he tamped down his feelings and, to Buzz's grief and frustration, said nothing.

Why? thought Young(er) Buzz. Why would Warp cling to his pain so strongly that he wouldn't – or couldn't – trust his _best friend_ to understand and not think any less of him? And for what purpose?

Why? Just _why_?

Then, Buzz and Warp's penultimate mission together took place, and everything came to a tragic head.

A massive, multi-district fire broke out on the small, very technology-resistant planet of Gibbous II. At the mission's height, a young Ranger wanted to rescue a dementia-addled old woman who, untended and unwilling to leave the only home she ever knew, wandered back into a building burning beyond fire crews' efforts to quench the blaze. Buzz, promoted to captain rank not days before – his responsibilities increased, his attentions divided, and his heart getting the better of him – gave the okay for the youngster to go after her despite the obvious danger. Fresh out of training and unable to discern a badly motivated order, the girl dashed in, disappearing behind a wall of flames and smoke.

Neither she nor the woman made it out again. In the middle of Buzz comming his younger comrade desperately for a status report, the building collapsed, crushing rescuer and victim under several tons of scorching, enviro-suit-melting materials while everyone outside, without any tech sufficient to provide aid, watched in helpless horror. Screams rang over the crunching, shearing crash of metal and timber. The sudden onrush of blazing air stinging his skin and evaporating the moisture from his eyes, Buzz fell to his knees and took his anguish out on the ground, his captain's emblem weighing heavily on his chest amidst the static cutting over his comm-link.

Then, out of nowhere, the right hook slammed into his chin. Pain exploded through his jaw, and Buzz, dazed, next recognized the sensation of lying on his side in the dirt. But he received no chance to recover; with an expression somewhere between thunderous and murderous, Warp lifted Buzz by the collar of his suit and eviscerated him verbally before the crowd.

"… _THE STUPID OLD BINT DESERVED TO BURN AND DIE ALONE!" Warp roared, firelight glinting off his sharp eye-teeth._ _"Anything is better than letting a promising young Ranger die in vain for someone else's DUMB CHOICE and her own captain's sentimental IDIOCY! Her blood is on YOUR HANDS, BUZZ! YOURS!"_

Around them, bystanders gasped, and Buzz, pushed to his breaking point, lashed out.

" _YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW? I'M THE ONE WHO_ GAVE _THE BLASTED ORDER!" Buzz shoved his way out of Warp's grip, but then, ignoring his better judgment, he stepped once more into his partner's space. "But I guess that's not what this is really about, is it? No, everything always points back to you and your issues, Warp Darkmatter! So, what, for stars' sakes, is worth yourself shut up tighter than a Bathyosian clam about what happened before the Academy? What happened to your mother and brother, Warp, and why can't you let it out? You don't have to let their deaths haunt you forever or let them weigh on you alone, and you certainly don't need to take your damage out on the_ one _person who's HONESTLY TRYING TO HELP YOU AND BE YOUR FRIEND! I'm always here to help if you'd_ let _me, if you'd just get the frag_ over _yourself, but noooo. Craters, it's like you_ want _to remain alone and unloved in the universe even though everything you do is a cry for help; and stars forbid anyone should try actually helping you, because HOW DARE THEY, RIGHT?"_

Buzz never remembered who attacked first. Only, in the middle of a flurry of fists, he recalled only Warp's answer:

" _I DON'T_ WANT _YOUR HELP, LIGHTYEAR!"_

Before either harmed the other seriously, the other Rangers on duty broke Warp and Buzz apart, and they stayed apart during the return to Star Command and the two weeks of R&R that followed. For his part, Buzz wrestled with both his conscience and his overflowing anger through those two weeks, his volatile mood causing even Dr. Animus to not psychoanalyze his patient a nanosecond longer than necessary. Fortunately, the better part of Buzz won out through sheer moral brawn, and he emerged from the struggle kicking himself over his complete failure to handle not merely the situation on Gibbous II, but himself. Working up his courage, he sought out Warp and apologized with every ounce of contrite sincerity he could muster, though he had no idea if his partner would forgive him, nor did he expect any grace for how badly he crossed the line.

After a loaded pause, Warp said, _"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. You just made captain, what, a few days before that fire? An' the Gibbousians weren't so ass-backwards, we probably wouldn't'a had a problem in the first place. Anyone new to the responsibility in the middle of a_ _situation like that would'a made the same mistake, and I don't blame you for snapping under the guilt. Even Star Command's finest has his limits, and nothing's gonna change what happened anyway, so let's just move on, alright?"_

Thankful, and not wanting to start another quarrel, Buzz kept his complaints to himself. On the bright side, he thought, his partner deigned to forgive him enough to at least talk to him again and make some attempt to ease his mind. While not a giant step forward, the gesture started them going in the right direction nonetheless.

At least, Buzz _thought_ so.

If only hindsight alone weren't twenty-twenty… If only he handled things differently on Gibbous, or starting from the Academy, or saw the motives behind Warp's outwardly forgiving charade that day… Too many "if only" wishes than he could count – would if the "if only" sentiment itself bought the bread.

Another song began playing in Buzz's ear, but he no longer paid his tunes any attention.

When all considered, the many, precious bits of the Lightyear-Darkmatter relationship split each instance of seeing the goodness still within Agent Z into two things for Buzz: worth the struggle, and some of the most painful moments he endured through his entire life. The optimistic "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command to the Rescue" part of him clung to the hope of a bright future, but the other part, the world-savvy, not-larger-than-life Ranger who knew no one survived through pure hope and, indeed, reached their limits sooner or later, looked on that conviction with growing cynicism. Some days, like today, Buzz felt more defeated than hopeful, like his and Agent Z's encounters taught him nothing of use to keep them from repeating their past mistakes. More: His energy reserves dipped dangerously near bone-dry, and all the while, Warp took everything in stride, not considering his former partner's feelings worth more time than the span of a temporary truce.

The single sad, but no less true fact Buzz could count on between Warp and himself was that, ruminations and suppositions aside, he couldn't count on Warp at all. Not anymore, and maybe not ever.

Yet... Yet, Star Command's greatest hero resolved to continue risking himself and the values he held dear to have Warp by his side one more day, even if that meant Buzz would watch his own pride be destroyed over and over again.

Sometimes lost. Sometimes found. Buzz struggled day by day, moment by moment, to well and truly pin down the state of his best friend's heart and soul. Nonetheless, they both continued appearing from light and shadow to stand before one another. Together, even if it meant another day of pain and fighting tooth and nail, they were still here, still with a chance.

Somehow, right now, that mattered enough to Buzz.

Somehow.

Maybe…

A knock at his door startled Buzz out of his thoughts.

"It's open," he said when his heart-rate slowed, and he sat up in his bunk while switching the music off.

The door opened, and a familiar, tanned, careworn face stared at Buzz from beyond the threshold.

"Ty!" Buzz swung his legs over the side of his bunk and stood, giving his old friend a wave. "Hey! I didn't expect to see you here. How are you?"

"Hey, Buzz. I'm doing alright. To be fair, I didn't expect to be here either until a few minutes ago. You mind if I come in?" Ty held up two cups of steaming coffee. "I'd wave, but I doubt either of us would appreciate the mess."

"Sure – I mean, no, I don't mind. Make yourself at home."

Ty stepped inside, and the door shut quietly behind him.

"What's going on?" Buzz asked.

"Nothing much on my end, but that's not why I'm here." Ty sat one cup down by the terminal, and then he gave his friend a querying look. "You doing alright tonight, Buzz?"

"Uh… I'm fine. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?"

"Well, to cut a long story short and get to brass tacks, I ran into Booster and XR in the cafeteria, and they told me about what happened on Tradeworld today." Ty held out the cup remaining in his grip. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I…" Buzz stopped himself short, certain parts of his previous introspections returning to him. Then, taking the offered cup without further hesitation, he blew away some of the steam and took a grateful swig, savoring the milky, creamy, bittersweet taste. "Ah, that's a good cup o' joe. Thanks a lot, Ty; I needed the pick-me-up. The chair by the terminal good enough for you?"

"Glad to help; and anything's a throne compared to the cafeteria's bench seats."

The coffee ran out long before Buzz finished reiterating his struggles, and surrounded by the following silence, the two Rangers sat contemplating the information floating between them.

"Hmm… That's rough. No wonder your team's upset." Ty examined the inside of his cup before looking at Buzz again. "I wish I could give you an easy answer, Buzz, but Warp's always been a creature unto himself. I think the only being in the entire Galactic Alliance he never held himself back from was Mrs. Wilde. Sweet old cat – I'm not ashamed to say I shed some tears when we got back from class that day and saw she'd passed. Rocket did, too, when you guys weren't looking, and he's a die-hard dog guy."

"Mrs. Wilde was a queen among kitties, without doubt. I think that was the saddest night the four of us shared together in the Academy." Buzz sighed. "Honestly, after she died, I always hoped that would motivate Warp into opening up about what happened with his folks, but…"

"Yeah... To be honest, Buzz, you trying so hard to pry into Warp's personal business never sat quite right with me. Where I come from, we were raised to respect someone's silence on a topic, and I always got the sense he never really appreciated it anyway. There are things some people won't ever comfortable talking about – it took a while before I could even hear the word 'wirewolf' without the fight-or-flight adrenaline rush hitting me like a meteorite. And the nightmares…" Ty shook his head. "Still, I admit I never gelled with Warp like you did, and whether you should've pushed or not, I know your heart was in the right place at least. No one can ever fault you for that."

Buzz shook his head, too. "If only that had been enough, and if only all the things anyone _could_ fault me over never happened. If I got the chance, I can't even count how many things I would do differently."

"Well, they say hindsight's twenty-twenty. Pity foresight isn't the same."

"You know, I had that same thought earlier. Great minds think alike."

"Thanks. Though," Ty set his cup aside, "it also wouldn't be a bad idea to consider the possibility that Warp would have double-crossed you no matter how many do-overs the universe or any higher power gave you. After everything that's gone down, you can't look me in the eye say it's out of the question, or even really that improbable."

"I… No, but… It's… I-I…" Buzz sent his friend a look of entreaty. "What about 'evil never wins', Ty? Star Command and the Galactic Alliance wouldn't exist if that weren't true, and I – and you, too – never would've made it this far as a Ranger. I mean, between you and me, the fact we're both here having this conversation is testament to 'evil never wins'. Right?"

Sighing, Ty said, "Well, the wirewolf and N0S-4-A2 are gone, and they didn't leave behind any damage that couldn't heal, so I'm definitely not saying 'no'…" After a moment, he shrugged. "For whatever reasons, Buzz, some people are set in stone before their chances to choose another path, and sometimes destiny and higher powers won't be denied, not even by the best of us or the best of our ideals. Whenever you grew mature enough to make your choice, can you say you were any more malleable or your frame of destiny was any different when it came to fighting the good fight?"

"I… No."

"Exactly. The being said, for better or worse, even the great Buzz Lightyear of Star Command can't win all the time." Ty cocked a brow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "If that wasn't true, I know I'd call up the universe's HR department and make a very loud and cranky demand to see the manager."

Buzz stopped rolling his lips inward and chuckled.

"You mean you didn't do that any time before the wirewolf episode?" he asked, smirking teasingly.

"Oh, I sent a few long-winded tirades into the ether, but I got used to the universe's generic hold music after a while." Ty looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "You know, I don't think I ever said it in so many words, Buzz, but now that enough time's passed and I've thought about things for a while, I… I'm actually kind of _grateful_ things happened the way they did."

Buzz blinked.

Ty continued, "I mean, I didn't _enjoy_ turning into the wirewolf or being enslaved to that self-absorbed energy vampire, and if things didn't turn out okay in the end, I don't think I'd be saying this, but… When the smoke cleared, I, and you, and everyone, got to see what I'm really made of. I hit my life's lowest points on Canis Lunis and Planet Z, and from there, I grew to be the strong, competent Ranger I always dreamed about being. I even got to save you for once, and," Ty's smile broadened, "despite all our faults and the years of strain on our relationship, it turned out you and I still really cared about each other."

"For once, you didn't have to suffer through the hold music."

"Right; and I can tell you right now it was more than worth the wait. Most of our comrades wouldn't believe it, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I wouldn't do a single thing over if I got the chance. Not one. Not ever. If things happened differently, who knows if we'd even be sitting here now as either better friends or just better people? I might still be off stewing on some backwater planet and hoping I'd never have to see you again."

"If it makes you feel any better, I can't say I blame you, and I appreciate the honesty."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for how I handled things for so long, and you're welcome. It feels absolutely fantastic to finally go without drinking the poison and hoping you died from it instead." Ty paused. "Maybe… Maybe your relationship with Warp will play out how yours and mine did – minus the whole technological horror thing. Maybe the universe or the higher powers haven't shut down 'evil never wins'; they've just put it on hold for a while, waiting for the right moment."

"And things will be more than worth the wait in their own, best time." Buzz laughed again, this time in relief. "Ty, that… Holy Nova, that is the best thing I've heard all day, bar none."

"The great thing about hope is it springs eternal, even when faith and charity are running dry. I wouldn't stake my life or reputation on Warp coming through, and I'd be careful about 'evil never wins', too, but so long as you're both here, no one can say it's over. Not even him. Not yet, and maybe never."

Ty rose from the chair and moved to sit beside Buzz, one hand alighting on Buzz's shoulder.

"That being said, Buzz, no matter what happens from this point, whether Warp makes the right choice or not, I'm here to stay, and I've got your back. If you need to hang and talk or just have another cup of coffee, I promise I _will_ make time for you regardless of whatever else I'm doing. We could even go on a mission together just like old times, if Nebula's alright with the idea. Regardless, whatever you choose to do, I know right here," Ty placed his free fist over his chest, "if anyone in infinity and beyond can get through to Warp and save him from himself, it's his best friend, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

"Whether you win or lose, Buzz," Ty patted Buzz's shoulder, "I believe in you. You can count on it."

"...Ty… Man, I warn you, if you keep talking like that, I'm moving straight from choked up to crying like a baby." Wiping his eyes, he then said with a soft voice, "Thank you, Ty. I'd say you had no idea how much I needed this talk, but… Thank you. Just thank you."

"Anytime, old friend. And I wouldn't worry too much about Mira; she's a tough cookie, and she's mature enough to let her anger go sooner rather than later. She learned from the best, after all. To be honest, I'd be much more concerned if she held things in and _didn't_ vent. She should've chosen a much less risky and offensive way of going about it, but things're out now, and nobody innocent got hurt, so there's a couple of things to be thankful for, if nothing else."

"Yeah. No point holding it against her; she's a fantastic Ranger, and I know she'll make the right choice next time." A thought struck Buzz, and he smiled. "Say, did you have a bite to eat before you brought me the coffee?"

"I had a snack earlier, but I could stand to have something with a bit more substance now." Ty grinned. "You wanna hit up Cosmo's for some cosmic chili?"

"You read my mind, buddy." Buzz stood with Ty, and right before they stepped outside, the former challenged, "Race you to _42_ , loser tries tonight's Mystery Special?"

"You know what? Why not?" Ty's grin took on a wolfish quality. "Call it newfound confidence or experience from lunchtime at the Academy, but tonight, old buddy, I aim to live dangerously."

"Heh. So do I, old friend. So do I."


End file.
